


Coming of the Dawn

by thecrownofclowns



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bloodplay, M/M, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 10:11:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2225130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecrownofclowns/pseuds/thecrownofclowns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tao has nearly thirty years of anger and resentment. He hates humans and Wufan and he just wants to spend his life doing as he was made to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming of the Dawn

Strawberries. Strawberries and sugar. That’s what Tao tasted. It made sense on some level. The girl was young, a high schooler, and she was all pink hues and blushing skin. Tao had seen her walk down the street with some friends, high pitched giggle slicing through the air. Tao licked his lips before following her. Stalking prey was the easiest thing for him, a second nature really, and she never stood a chance.

When she’d cut down the alley, Tao had swarmed. He’d covered her mouth with his hand, cutting off her scream before viciously sinking his teeth into the skin of her neck. She’d fought hard, elbows knocking into him and head thrashing about. Tao pulled her close, free arm snaking around her waist. Finally she grew weak and stopped struggling.

Blood filled his mouth, coating his tongue, sinking down into his taste buds. She tasted sweet, sweeter than Tao liked. He liked it when blood was bitter. It served as a reminder of the harsh creature that he was. Tao swallowed the blood in his mouth, shivering as the thick substance slid down his throat. It was everything he needed, everything he desired. But it would take an eternity to satiate the beast within him.

Tao sank his teeth in farther, feeling skin tear and rip. The girl was unconscious and he was losing control. He couldn’t kill her. The coven would be angry if he did, but he wasn’t thinking about that right now. More. More. He needed more. The body started to slump in his arms, and he laid her down, crawling over her. He drank and drank, growing more wild with the desire to kill, and getting closer to not being able to turn back.

“Tao,” a deep voice growled. Tao’s eyes widened and he pulled back. The girl beneath him didn’t look to be breathing, but Tao could hear her heart pounding in his ears and it was so loud. He could almost have mistaken it for his own that had stopped beating a long time ago. Tao turned to look at Wufan with his old eyes and tired expression. They had played this game too many times.

“I’m sorry,” Tao said. Wufan sighed and walked closer. Tao had blood all over his chin and on the collar of his shirt. It covered his plump lips, and Wufan remembered a time when those plump lips had been all his, to bite and abuse all he wanted. “I just...couldn’t stop.”

“Where is this bloodlust coming from?” Wufan asked, kneeling beside Tao. He reached out and cupped Tao’s face. Tao averted his eyes. Wufan was an elder and, despite their once intimate relationship, he deserved a certain amount of respect. His thumbs made tracks in the blood as he ran them over Tao’s lips. “Are you feeding regularly? Or are you...?”

He let the question hang in the air, and Tao tensed in shame. There was a time, long ago when he’d first became a Child of the Night, that he had refused to feed. He’d been afraid of himself and disgusted, and he didn’t want to live like that. It had worried and infuriated Wufan, who had turned Tao upon his request. Tao had gotten out of that quickly when his starvation had awoken the crazed monster inside of him. He’d blacked out and come to in the home of a family he’d slaughtered. Man. Woman. Children. He’d slaughtered them all and drank their blood without mercy or remorse. After that he always tried to feed the beast often enough to never lose control again.

“I’ve been eating fine. Missing a few meals here and there, but not anymore than before. Please believe me.” Wufan sighed and let his hands drop. He felt the girl’s pulse and frowned.

“She’s dying. Might as well just finish.” Tao shook his head. Wufan narrowed his eyes. “You did this, and you’re going to finish it. Otherwise, she’ll just turn. So drink, Zitao. Now.” Tao closed his eyes and shook his head. Wufan sighed and pushed Tao away. Tao hit the ground and watched as Wufan sank his teeth into the young girl and finished her off. When he was finished he looked at Tao with the same blood covering his chin and mouth. “I’m tired of cleaning up your messes, Zitao. Be more careful.”

Tao nodded before lunging himself at Wufan, tackling them to the ground, and planting his lips over Wufan’s. Tao crashed their lips together, trying to gain entry. But Wufan was older and he wasn’t letting Tao in. Tao stuck his tongue out and licked the blood off of Wufan’s lips and chin, even getting the drops that ran under his chin. Wufan just remained motionless, curious if Tao was kissing him to avoid a reprimand or to get the remaining blood.

“Done?” Wufan asked as Tao pulled back. Tao looked away, hands coming to fist in Wufan’s shirt.

“Let’s have sex,” Tao whispered, eyes avoiding Wufan. “Like we used to. Wild. Crazy. Bloody. We can find a whore to split between us. C’mon. For old times sake.” Wufan closed his eyes and sighed.

“No, Zitao.”

“Why?” Tao whined. “I can still do that one thing that I used to do where I would--”

“I said no, Tao.” Tao stopped immediately when he heard the commanding tone to Wufan’s voice.

“What happened to us, Wufan? We used to have the best sex. Anywhere. Everywhere. Why did we stop?”

“You asked me to, remember? You told me that you couldn’t do ‘us’ anymore. You told me that you hated me, and then you left for six years. Then you came back crying for me to take you back. I let you back into the coven, but you had forfeited your place by my side.”

“And now you have your little human whore,” Tao spat viciously. Wufan’s hand came up and grabbed Tao’s face, fingers sliding over blood. He jerked Tao’s face towards him, and Tao saw fire in the dark red tint of Wufan’s eyes. He shouldn’t have pissed him off.

“Don’t you ever, or I’ll rip your limbs off. Understand me, Tao?”

“He doesn’t deserve his position. Only one of us can be Head of the House in your absence. Baekhyun isn’t one of us. He’s just a human.” Wufan’s fingers dug painfully into Tao’s cheeks. “Why haven’t you turned him, Fan?”

“He doesn’t want to be one of us, and I respect his decision.” Tao’s glare was harsh. “I respected yours, remember. You came to me, begging and crying for me to fuck you and then turn you. I did, and you hated me for it. But I still respected your decision.” Wufan’s eyes widened before he looked at the corpse on the ground and then back at Tao.

“What?” Tao asked, following his line of sight to the body and then back.

“I think that’s what you need. You need to get a blood whore.” Tao sneered in disgust.

“No thank you. I don’t want some pathetic human clinging to me to have their blood drank and then be fucked. No thanks. I’ll stick to the stereotype of my people. Stalking prey in the night.”

“You will, Tao. Or I’ll rip out your teeth and throw you out the coven.”

“What?” Tao asked, incredulously. “You can’t do that!” Wufan’s nails dug into his flesh, cutting it open. Tao felt his blood pour down his cheeks, mixing with the blood of the human girl.

“Don’t forget your place, Zitao. I am older and have great authority over you. I can do whatever I want. I can order you to do whatever I want, and I’m ordering you to get a blood whore. You killing everything you prey upon is going to blow our cover. You are putting us in danger. In order to protect the coven, you need to find someone to feed from regularly.”

“But--” Wufan’s nails dragged down Tao’s cheeks, leaving an open seam in their wake. He let his hands drop, threat more than obvious. Tao took a deep, angry breath before standing quickly. He started walking away as fast as possible, muttering a “yessir” just so Wufan wouldn’t accuse him of insubordination. He was already in for it back at the house. He didn’t need to make things worse.

“Hello, Tao,” Baekhyun said from his place in the crook of Wufan’s arm. He wasn’t surprised to see that Wufan got home faster. He was older and faster, and he hadn’t taken his time like Tao had. He’d probably wanted to return home to see his little whore. Baekhyun was certainly cute with twinkling eyes and a deliciously small frame. But the fact that he had a higher position than Tao made Tao resent him. Tao stared at the ring of teeth marks on Baekhyun’s neck and arms. Baekhyun wore them proudly, flaunting them as a symbol of his position and power.

Tao walked past him without responding. Wufan sent him a look, but it was Suho’s entry that caused his retreat to his room to be halted. Suho sent him a pointed look and Tao sighed. Suho was without a doubt the more patient and gentle elder in the coven, but his punishments were more severe, aimed at teaching and making an example of rather than just reprimanding and embarrassing.

“Wufan tells me that you killed another human today.” Suho took his seat beside Wufan and smiled. His blood whore, Kyungsoo, came to stand beside him. Kyungsoo was very different from Baekhyun. Where Baekhyun was confident and proud, Kyungsoo was shy and submissive.  Baekhyun wasn't afraid to talk with Wufan and share his opinion while Kyungsoo merely nodded along to Suho's commands. Tao knew the difference between them came from before they became blood whores. Baekhyun had been someone training to be a singer when he'd gotten in with Wufan. He'd quickly left that life to be with the Elder. But Kyungsoo had been part of an extremely abusive relationship. Suho had killed the boyfriend when he witnessed the human being violent with the doe-eyed man. From that point on, Kyungsoo gave his life to Suho. Where Baekhyun cared for Wufan, Kyungsoo worshipped Suho. "Tao, are you listening?"

"Sir?" Tao asked. He didn't even realize that Suho had been talking. Wufan sighed before leaning over to whisper something in Baekhyun's ear. Baekhyun smiled and his eyes got wide. Then he stood up and pulled Wufan with him upstairs. Tao scowled.

"Wufan tells me that he wants you to get a blood whore. I second that, and I'm sure that I don't have to tell that that means that it is an order you must comply with."

"And if I don't?" Tao asked, feeling defiant. Suho just smiled and Tao felt a shiver run through him. Suho only smiled like that if he was imagining a vicious way to murder. "Yessir, I'll start looking."

"You'll need to learn how to take care of them." Suho turned to Kyungsoo and reached out to cup his cheeks. Kyungsoo looked at him with wide eyes. "Soo, will you stay with Tao for a few days so he can understand what it means to have a companion?" Tao scoffed at the term companion. Kyungsoo shook his head with a small smile before laying a hand over one of Suho's.

"I'll miss you," he whispered. If Tao didn't have heightened senses, he wouldn't have heard the whisper escape from Kyungsoo's plump lips. Suho smiled and placed a small kiss to those lips.

"I promise that afterwards I will tie you up, nice and tight, and I won't' let you go anywhere." Tao knew from accidentally walking in on Kyungsoo and Suho once that Suho's promise to tie Kyungsoo up was a legitimate and sexual one.

"You don't have to part with your pet, Suho. I'll probably neglect to feed him anyway." With that, Tao turned and retreated to his room still disgusted by the idea of having to care for a human.

Tao's first thought when he saw Wufan for the first time was that he was god-like. He had been tall and imposing when Tao had encountered him during a drunken night after work. The year had been 1976, Mao Zedong had just passed and things weren't settling down. Tao worked whatever job he could to help pay for his family. He always had to be careful for fear of forcing reeducation upon himself. But that didn't stop Tao from spending a large portion of his money on illegal drugs and liquor.

That particular night, Tao had gone out alone to get drunk or high. He succeeded in getting more drunk than usual and he found himself stumbling down an alley. He'd nearly taken a spill when a large hand gripped his arm and kept him upright. Tao thought he'd fucked up bad, that he'd been spotted publicly intoxicated and that he'd be sent away. But then he'd looked into impossibly deep eyes. He had passed the red tint off as his drunken perception.

What a mistake he'd made.

"Are you okay?" Wufan had asked. Tao had looked into those eyes and at that strong jaw and mumbled something unintelligible. Wufan had smiled and slipped a hand around Tao's waist. "You are very handsome. Would you be interested in spending the afternoon with me?"

Tao opened his mouth to say something. That he wasn't gay. That he wasn't a whore. That he wasn't looking for trouble. Wufan sensed this and pulled Tao closer. He flashed a smile and Tao's breath was forced from his lungs.

"I don't--" Tao managed to mutter. Wufan leaned closer and took a deep breath beside Tao's ear.

"But you're drunk. It's dangerous for you to be out here alone." Wufan was cooing in his ear, and Tao found himself wanting to do it. So he'd said yes. He'd learn later that being a persuasive gentleman was Wufan's style. He liked to court his meals rather than go straight for the kill.

That was the first, though not the last, time that Wufan ever sank his teeth into Tao. He'd taken Tao to an abandoned apartment building where he proceeded to pin him down and feed. Tao had screamed and screamed, a burning pain spreading through his body, beating in time with his heart. Eventually the pain subsided replaced by a strange bliss. Tao's body went numb and a daze clouded his mind. He didn't realize that he was falling unconscious.

"You really are handsome," Wufan whispered beside his ear. "I would bet that you'd blend perfectly into the night. I'll stay with you to make sure that you don't die and I'll take away your memories when you wake. Sleep."

And so Tao did. When he woke in the morning, he found Wufan placing playful nips and kisses to his neck. He'd tensed for a moment. Wufan pulled back to smile at him. Then he moved to stand up.

"Wait!" Tao shouted as he attempted to get up. The pain in his neck caused him to cry out and remain on the ground. Wufan looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Tao blushed and then looked away. "What did you do to me?"

"Don't worry. You won't remember for very long."

"No!" Tao shouted, turning to look at Wufan. Wufan's eyes got wide. "I want to--I want to remember." Wufan smiled again then, all predatory teeth.

"Would you be interested in doing it again?" Tao looked down to where Wufan was still basically sitting atop him. Wufan glanced too and smiled wider. "Or we could do other stuff too."

"Now?"

"You've lost too much blood from last night. But in two days. Meet me in that alleyway. We can have as much fun as you'd like. But don't come drunk. I hate the taste of liquor." Tao nodded. Wufan helped him up, kissed him on the lips, and sent him home without even sharing his name.

Tao's family had been worried but he'd shook them off. Then he waited. Through the vomiting spell on the first day and through the fever on the second, which would later be explained as his body detoxing the bite. Tao waited and waited. And then went to Wufan again.

Wufan was gentle with him, not wanting to ruin Tao on his first time. He forced himself inside as Tao had clutched desperately to his skin. Tao had screamed and cried from the pain. Wufan had leaned over and bit him again on the arm this time. Tao's attention went completely to the bite, and he was so focused on the strange bliss that his pain receded and he enjoyed the pleasure that Wufan provided.

Afterwards Tao had asked for another meeting. Wufan had obliged. Tao was introduced to the world of the Night Children when he became Wufan's blood whore. In the time that Tao gave his body and blood to Wufan, Wufan educated him on his world. He explained the need to feed and how the bite worked. He explained the process of turning and anything else Tao asked about.

"Blood whore? That's what I am?" Tao asked one day after Wufan explained the term. Wufan nodded silently. "So there are lots of us?" Wufan nodded again. "Do you have lots of us?"

"No," Wufan said with a smile. "You are the only one." Tao couldn't stop himself from smiling. Wufan leaned over and kissed him. "But you are not the first. Probably not the last." Tao's smile slipped from his face. "I'm going to outlive you, Tao. And when that happens, I will take another."

"Then will you stay until then?" Tao asked as he snuggled himself closer to Wufan. Wufan put an arm around him.

"I'll try," he promised.

It took Wufan twenty months to break his promise.

"I have to leave," he told Tao one afternoon. Tao’s eyes went wide and he abandoned the task of putting on his clothes. He reached out and clutched onto Wufan desperately. Wufan looked down at him and frowned.

“No, no, no. You can’t leave. You can’t.”

“I stayed as long as I could, Tao. But people are starting to remember me. That can’t happen. If something were to happen--” he trailed off. Tao looked up at him and the tears were beginning to roll down his cheeks. His nails dug into Wufan’s skin, and Wufan could feel Tao’s sorrow in the rapid beating of his heart. “I can’t, Tao. I’m sorry.” Wufan let Tao cry, but he didn’t move to hold or comfort him.

“No, you can’t leave. Take me with you. Please, I’ll go anywhere. I’ll do anything. Just don’t leave me.” Wufan shook his head and pried Tao’s fingers off of him.

“You can’t make it in this life.” Tao’s eyes got very wide, and Wufan sucked in a deep breath at his own mistake. It didn’t take a genius to understand what Tao was thinking. “No, I won’t. You need to walk away and forget about us.”

“I can’t, Wufan. I need you. I--I love you.” Wufan’s eyes widened too. He reached his hands up to cup Tao’s tear stained cheeks. “I love you, Wufan. You can’t leave me. I won’t let you. So turn me instead.”

“You don’t want this life, Tao. This life is cruel and eternal. There is no going back.”

“I don’t care,” Tao cried as he buried his face in Wufan’s chest. Wufan smoothed down his hair. “I just want to be with you.”

“I can’t undo the turn once it starts. This is what you want?”

“We’ll be together?” Wufan smiled and nodded.

“You can’t be my blood whore because you won’t be human, but you can always remain by my side.” Tao smiled and nodded.

“Yes, this is what I want.” Wufan continued to look very uncertain. Even when he laid Tao down on the ground. He positioned himself over Tao, who merely looked up at him with expectant eyes.

“This is going to hurt. The bite will flood your veins and I’ll kill you. Next you’ll sleep for a while. Then you’ll wake up, and we’ll be together forever.” Tao smiled and exposed his neck. The bite mark from the first time left tantalizing scars that everyone would wonder about but never question. Tao had always tried to hide them, but no more. He wouldn’t have to hide anymore.

Wufan took a deep breath before sinking his teeth into Tao’s neck. Tao let a gasp escape him, like he did every time, and he brought his hands to tighten in Wufan’s hair. The burning sensation flooded his veins the longer Wufan drank. It set his blood on fire, but Tao didn’t focus on the pain. Instead he focused on his excitement, on the promise of forever. He focused on the fact that he loved Wufan, and that he was thankful that he could be the one Wufan wanted.

But the minute Wufan removed his teeth, the pain intensified tenfold. Wufan’s teeth tore skin as he pulled himself away, slowly. Tao screamed again. Or he thought he did. Because at that moment, a crushing weight settled upon his chest that had him gasping for breath. The burning worsened and Tao wanted to claw off his skin. Tao waited for the bliss to come, but it wasn’t there. The bliss came with every bite. Where was the bliss?

Tao turned his head slightly, sending a searing pain up to his brain. He saw blood. More blood than he’d ever seen in his life. It was pouring and running and Tao knew that Wufan hadn’t held back. He’d most likely taken all the blood he’d wanted from Tao, realizing that it would be the last time. Tao felt a sick panic rising to the surface and he started drawing in quick, sharp breaths, barely any oxygen going into his lungs. He got his first taste of blood when he started coughing up his own.

“Tao,” Wufan said comfortingly. He reached out and grabbed ahold of Tao’s cheeks. Tao looked at him through blurry vision. Wufan had as much red on him as Tao did. Tao’s blood. He was covered in Tao’s blood. “Sleep. When you wake, forever will start.” He smiled and placed a tender kiss to Tao’s blood-stained lips. Then he snapped Tao’s neck.

Tao did sleep. He slept for too long and woke with the most annoying pain in his back. He turned to see Wufan staring at him with a smile. Wufan reached out a hand, and Tao accepted it happily. Forever could begin finally, and Tao couldn’t wait for it to start.

Looking back on it now, Tao should have realized that forever was an incredibly long time.

When the sun finally rose, Tao wanted to claw his own eyes out. He couldn’t sleep so he wasn't angry that the noise from the room next to his kept him awake. But he had perfected putting himself into a sleep-like trance. And he was furious that he couldn’t get any of that. He hated that they had given him this room when he returned after his absence. He knew it was a form of punishment. Everyone in the house knew it to. For leaving Wufan, he had to lay in his room every night and listen as Wufan fucked his blood whore.

Tao crawled out of bed, feeling angry for the day. He put on some tight fitting jeans and a nice v-neck. Then threw his coat on and left his room, hoping to avoid either Baekhyun or Wufan. He made his way down the kitchen to find Chanyeol and Luhan hanging around. Tao grimaced. Chanyeol smiled and Luhan raised an eyebrow.

“Have a good night sleep, Tao?” Luhan asked cruelly. Tao sent him a harsh glare. “I can’t imagine so. Wufan was particularly rough and Baekhyun was particularly loud.” Chanyeol reached out and smacked Luhan’s arm. Luhan shrugged and turned away. Tao moved to walk past them, but Chanyeol reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Are you okay?” Tao slapped his arm away.

“I’m fine,” Tao growled. Chanyeol shook his head.

“You’ve killed five people this month. That’s a lot of people. Is it because you aren’t feeding properly? Because I know this place where you can get some whores if--”

“I don’t need a whore,” Tao said. “I don’t need anyone. I just lost control. But I’m fine.” Chanyeol puffed up his cheeks at Tao’s stubbornness. Luhan waited a breath before laughing loudly. Tao jumped at the sound. He didn’t understand how someone as pretty and sweet looking as Luhan, could be so harsh. He liked to think it was from his human years.

“You lost control?” Luhan said around a laugh. “You sound like a teenage human boy who can’t control his orgasms.” Luhan laughed again, bringing a hand up to wipe at his eyes. Tao’s glare only intensified. “I mean that’s okay. Jongin couldn’t when I first met him. I wouldn’t even let him be my blood whore because I did not want to deal with that. So I fucked him once, turned him, and now neither of us has to deal with that problem.” Tao took a step closer, intent on smacking Luhan when a soft voice got his attention instead.

“Good morning,” Baekhyun said, walking into the kitchen in an oversize t-shirt and shorts. Chanyeol smiled at Baekhyun, and Luhan gave a small wave. But Tao remained motionless, opting instead for trying not to lash out.

“Morning, Baek,” Chanyeol returned easily. He moved to go over and stand next to the fridge, conversing with Baekhyun as Baekhyun began making his morning tea. Chanyeol was without a doubt the friendliest with Baekhyun, though everyone was nice and courteous to him. Luhan snuck a glance at Tao who moved towards the door.

“Are you not going to stay home today?” Baekhyun asked. Tao looked at him over his shoulder. “Minseok is returning today, and I talked Fan into letting me decorate. I know you guys don’t really do stuff like that, but I wanted to welcome him home. I thought we could all do it together.”

“Not interested,” Tao said. He heard Baekhyun move a bit closer. Tao moved towards the back door when he felt a hand wrap around his elbow.

“But everyone should be together. Not for me, Tao. But for the coven. For Fan.” Tao snapped. He turned around and knocked the cup right out of Baekhyun’s dainty little fingers. It flew across the kitchen and smashed into one of the cabinets. Baekhyun jumped in fright. Tao reached out again, but Chanyeol was suddenly there, holding him back. Luhan moved quickly to pull Baekhyun away from Tao, and place himself between the two.

Tao was so angry. He saw the bite marks on Baekhyun’s neck, and his insides twisted in jealousy and disgust. That was him once, that still should have been him. Wufan promised him forever. Tao had gone through a rough period, but Wufan didn’t stand by him, didn’t fight. He’d just let Tao go, and then he’d replaced him. Tao couldn’t respect Baekhyun because he used to be Baekhyun.

Tao continued struggling against Chanyeol but a harsh silence settled over the room as the air shifted. Chanyeol and Luhan shared a brief worried look, knowing what was coming next. Tao stopped too, shoulders going slack. Then the Elders swept into the room, summoned by the smash of the tea mug. Suho gasped at the sight, and Wufan’s eyes went narrow. They looked between Baekhyun, who was shaking slightly, and Tao, restrained by Chanyeol. They finally settled on Tao and Wufan was across the room in seconds. Chanyeol dropped his arm and made it far away quickly.

Tao expected the first blow, the backhand across his cheek, that snapped his head to the left with a sickening sound. He even expected the hand to fist in his hair, snapping his head back. Tao looked at Wufan’s angry stare, and then he was dealt the unexpected second blow across his other cheek that forced him to the ground.

Tao coughed, struggling to keep his head in place when he felt Wufan settle a heavy foot onto his back. Tao cried out in pain as Wufan dug his heel in. He managed to turn his head to see Wufan glaring hard at him.

“Fan, it’s fine. Let him go,” Baekhyun said from across the room. Wufan didn’t even look at Baekhyun.

“Get out,” he told Tao. Tao’s eyes went wide. Wufan was throwing him out of the coven, was he? He couldn’t. Tao would die on his own. He would be hunted down and killed. Wufan wouldn’t. Wufan couldn’t. “Get out and don’t come back until you learn some self control and stop acting like a newborn.” Tao almost breathed a sigh of relief. Wufan’s eyes narrowed more and he moved his foot from Tao’s back to his head, aimed at completely disgracing him. “And make no mistake. I have every desire to throw you out. The only reason that I’m not is because I made you. You are my responsibility and my problem. I wouldn’t wish you on the world.”

Wufan removed his foot and went over to take Baekhyun from Luhan. Baekhyun wrapped his arm around Wufan, burying his face in Wufan’s broad chest. Wufan inspected him for any harm and smiled fondly when he found some. Suho sighed and sent Wufan a look. Wufan ignored it and smoothed down Baekhyun’s hair instead.

Tao crawled to his feet, careful to keep his face hidden. Somehow during the exchange, the whole Coven had come to crowd around to watch. They had watched Wufan shame Tao, and Tao’s shame was palpable in the air. Tao made his way towards the door, people parting for him. He hesitated at the door, shame and anger fighting inside him.

“Out,” Wufan snapped.

Tao opened the door and fled.

Tao felt a lot of things. He felt angry, still. At Wufan and his whore. At himself for losing control. He felt ashamed for being so petty and pathetic. But most importantly, he felt really, suddenly alone.

Tao walked around, hands in his pockets and his hood pulled down over his features. He didn’t even realize that he was crying. None of the others cried, but Tao had always been an emotional human being. He guessed that trait had carried over with him.

He didn’t know where he was going or for how long he’d be on his own, but he knew that he walked around for hours. He spent all day, letting his emotions and frustrations fester. When he found himself on the bad part of town just after dark, he smiled happily. He merely continued walking, hoping that he would find easy prey. Being upset had woken the beast inside of him, and he wanted to take out all his human emotions by sinking his teeth into soft flesh.

Tao found his easy fix in the form of a sleazy club. It looked filthy and disgusting, but it was probably filled with easy, horny, drunk human beings. Any one of which would gladly leave with Tao when he asked. He could probably snag two if he was extra lucky. Tao walked through the doors and smiled at the bodies, twisting and writhing together in a sea of sweat, sex, and pulsing blood. Tao skipped trying those at the bar and jumped straight into the throng of flesh.

He quickly found a more than tipsy girl who was thrashing around. Tao laughed to himself at her pitiful dancing, but he smiled when she accepted his offer of dancing together. He pressed his body closer to hers and guided her movements with his own, their chests, hips, and thighs moving in sync. Tao leaned over and took a deep breath in the crook of her neck. He moaned aloud at the smell of vodka and blood mixed together.

When Tao raised his head, he was met with a pair of kohl rimmed eyes staring at him from the wall across the room. The eyes belong to a young man with a long face and bleach blonde hair, though not quite the same as Wufan once had. His was more on the platinum side with pink striked through it. Tao thought it was an odd choice, but he thought it added a certain flare to the young man.

Tao winked and red immediately crawled it’s way up the young man’s face. He looked away and took a huge drink from his cup. Tao found the young man far more interesting than the girl pressed to his crotch, but she momentarily gained his attention when she reached down and grabbed him through his jeans. He laughed at her playfully, closed his eyes, and leaned over to kiss her neck, teeth aching to tear through her sweaty skin.

But Tao opened his eyes and found the young man looking at him again. Tao continued to suck at her skin, but his eyes were on the young man. The man took another drink from his cup, trying to avert his eyes, but they always seemed to come back to Tao. Finally the song ended, and Tao separated himself from the young woman who smiled up at him lustily. She was more than ready to go home with him and she was confident in herself enough to even ask. But Tao was interested in much more exquisite prey, so he declined and walked past her.

“Hey,” Tao whispered as he came to stand next to the young man, who was as tall as him with a similar agile frame. He was in tight grey jeans and graphic tee with a jacket over it. The graphic tee hung low and gave a very exciting view of the man’s collar bones and chest. The young man looked at him briefly before looking at the ground. “It isn’t polite to watch other people like that. In fact, I think it’s illegal.”

The young man coughed and nearly spit out the alcohol in his mouth. Tao smiled as the boy blushed more and muttered “I wasn’t.” Tao reached out and touched his fingers to the other man’s cheek, turning his face so that he’d have to look into Tao’s eyes. They shared a look and Tao leaned closer, placing their faces only inches apart.

“But you don’t just have to watch.” He let his fingers glide over the young man's jaw and down his neck. Tao touched the outline of the young man's jugular, the beat of his heart pulsing beneath Tao’s fingertips. “I certainly wouldn't mind your company for the night.”

“I didn’t come here to be taken home by a stranger,” the young man said, turning away and downing another sip. “I came here to forget about my break-up.”

“You could do both. I can certainly think of more than a few ways to erase him from your mind.” This time the young man laughed.

“What an awful line,” he said around laughs. He had a nice laugh, high and throaty, and Tao wondered what other sounds he could pull from the young man. “Do you usually get people to go home with you by using those lines?”

“Sometimes,” Tao said. “Sometimes I don’t have to say much.”

“Wow, your terrible one liners are actually impressive.” But he smiled nonetheless.

“You don’t seem completely against the idea of coming home with me,” Tao said, his fingers dancing even further south to rest against the young man’s chest. The young man smiled.

“I’m not, but I don’t want you talking the whole night.” Tao whistled, a toothy grin gracing his face. He knew it was tricky. Contrary to pop culture, his teeth were very much noticeable. They appeared sharp and deadly because they were sharp and deadly. “So assuming you won’t keep throwing me douchy lines, yeah. I’ll go home with you.”

“Well, I don’t actually have a place to go, so looks like I’m going home with you.” The young man smiled with a slight shrug before reaching up and lacing his fingers with Tao’s. Then he leaned forward, slowly and almost hesitantly, to press his lips against Tao’s. The kiss wasn’t unexpected but Tao had to play it safe. This was dangerous. The young man could press against Tao’s teeth too hard or Tao could get a little too into it, forcing the beast to come to the surface. Contrary to Tao’s usual style, he very much wanted to play with his food first.

Tao opened his mouth to run his tongue against the young man’s lip. The mouth beneath his opened and Tao let his tongue slide against gum and muscle, dominating the kiss entirely. The young man reached up and knotted a hand in Tao’s hair. Tao smiled as his hair was tugged and he suddenly felt a tongue in his mouth.

Tao pulled back quickly, smile broad as he stared at the young man. “I’m Zitao,” he said, using his real name. The young man smiled, bringing the hand in Tao’s hair down to run over his lips.

“Sehun,” he responded. Tao leaned over and gave Sehun a quick kiss.

“Well Sehun, I’m not sure about you, but I top.”

Despite his words, Tao found himself on bottom, Sehun’s hands gripping his waist and his cock deep inside. Tao was in his lap, knees and toes digging into Sehun’s leather couch, as he raised himself up and down. He had one hand resting on the back of Sehun’s neck while he used his other hand to jerk himself off. Sehun’s cock felt so good inside, sliding in and out as Tao rode Sehun. Tao threw his head back as Sehun reached that space deep within him, causing him to moan loudly. He was close, they both were, and Tao waited for the perfect moment. While Sehun was distracted with his orgasm, Tao would make his move.

This was new for Tao. He bottomed for Wufan all those years ago, and he’d bottomed with other Night Children before. But he never bottomed with humans. He refused to let the control leave his hands. He liked to control them like the weak creatures they were. And while he was in control, he would sink his teeth into their flesh and help himself to their powerless bodies.

But for some reason, when Sehun had lubed his fingers up, Tao had let it happen. Tao had let Sehun’s bony fingers slip inside, caressing Tao’s insides and abusing his prostate. Tao had moaned into Sehun’s ear as Sehun fucked him with one finger, then two fingers, then three. Sehun curled his fingers quickly, before pulling them out and plunging them back in. The tips brushed against his sweet spot, and Tao growled for more.

When Tao took Sehun in raw, he gasped in unimaginable pleasure. He’d taken only a second to brace himself before he began his easy movements of lifting up and slamming himself down, forcing Sehun’s cock all the way inside. His walls were stretched and his prostate took the abuse, and Tao felt every plunge like he was seeing heaven.

Tao came easily, white hot cum coating his and Sehun’s stomach. He rode out his orgasm by only riding Sehun quicker, more fiercely. Tao waited for his movements to force Sehun to come, but Tao realized that it could have been for two reasons. The first being the obvious desire to drink from Sehun, savor the taste of warm, thick blood sliding down his throat. But he also suddenly wanted Sehun to come inside him. He wanted to feel Sehun’s cum slide down his thighs in tandem with the blood in his throat.

Tao forced Sehun to the brink when he reached out and ran his claws down that smooth chest. He was careful not to draw blood, fearing that it would force him out of control. He merely tore skin, causing Sehun to buck wildly and arch his back into Tao’s touch. He came after, filling Tao completely and Tao moaned at the quick movements of Sehun riding out his orgasm. This was his chance. Sehun was caught up in his climax. He wouldn’t see it coming.

He bared his teeth when Sehun closed his eyes and he swiftly tilted Sehun’s head to the side. Sehun snapped his eyes open just in time to see Tao lick his fangs. Tao’s eyes widened when he met Sehun’s. His eyes reflected his shock. He was stunned because Sehun wasn’t shocked at all. Sehun stopped bucking beneath Tao. He ran his hands up Tao’s back to pull him close.

“Feed from me, Zitao.” Tao’s eyes got even bigger and he moved back slightly to look at the young man whose softening cock was still inside him. His mouth was starting to salivate at the proximity and the increased heart rate pounding through the room. But his confusion was keeping him from tearing through Sehun’s neck. “It’s okay, Zitao. Do it. Drink.”

The beast within wouldn’t let him resist anymore. He opened his mouth and fit his lips to Sehun’s neck, teeth sinking deep into flesh. Sehun let out a small gasp of pain, and one of his hands came up to rub at Tao’s scalp. Warm blood flooded Tao’s mouth, and he moaned in delight as he swallowed. Sehun tasted like raw emotion. He tasted like nostalgia, like summers long ago when Tao would ride his bicycle to his grandmother’s. He tasted like desperation, like the first time that Tao had clutched at Wufan and begged for forever. He tasted alive and like everything that Tao was missing.

Tao drank from Sehun like he was filling some massive hole inside of him that had grown larger over the years. He drank like Sehun’s lifeblood could restore the lost humanity within him. He gorged himself at Sehun’s expense, thinking only of his own selfish desire to resurrect the parts of him that died when he had become a Night Child.

Tao came back to when Sehun sucked in a sharp breath. Tao pulled back, teeth pulling painfully at skin as he ended his feast. He turned his head slightly to stare at Sehun who was staring at him with a small smile and barely opened lips. Tao wondered if he’d drank too much, but miraculously Sehun’s pulse sounded the same only slightly faster. Sehun’s smile widened slightly as he leaned over to kiss Tao lightly.

Tao immediately untangled himself from Sehun and moved across the room of Sehun’s apartment. He spun around to see Sehun still sitting on the sofa, naked, with blood coating his neck, shoulder, and chest. But he didn’t look all that disturbed. “How did you know what I am?” Tao asked. Sehun smiled and pressed fingers to his neck.

“I know a vampire when I see one, Zitao.” Tao’s eyes narrowed. “It was obvious with the way you held that girl at the club. You had a look in your eye. It wasn’t lust, but hunger. You screamed what you were the moment you walked through the door.”

“Then why did you agree to take me home?”

“I was a much better target. I didn’t want you to ruin her life. I’m used to this. The hunt. The bite. It’s nothing new to me.” Tao began moving closer. He stood in front of Sehun, looking down on him with a death glare.

“You’re a blood whore, aren’t you?” Tao asked, the distaste lining his voice. Sehun’s lip quirked up on one side, revealing a sad smirk. He slowly shook his head.

“No,” he said. Tao flinched as another possibility occurred to him. Tao moved quickly to get the upper hand. He was straddling Sehun again, hands gripping Sehun’s neck.

“Are you a Hunter?” Sehun laughed.

“What kind of Hunter fucks a vampire and then let’s himself become a meal?” Tao’s hands dropped because Sehun was right. A Hunter would never do those things. A Hunter would remove a Night Child’s head before getting into bed with one of them.

“Then how do you know about us?” Sehun smiled before shifting his hips and forcing Tao closer to him. Their chests pressed together and Tao looked down at the mysterious man beneath him.

“The man who raised me was one of you,” Sehun whispered quietly. Tao raised an eyebrow, but Sehun didn’t say anything more. Tao’s hands came up to cup Sehun’s cheeks. Sehun looked at him before bringing him down for a kiss. Tao welcomed it, even parting his lips so Sehun could lazily roam his tongue over every nook of Tao’s mouth. Tao was slightly disturbed by the fact that Sehun didn’t seem to mind that Tao tasted like his blood or the fact that said blood was still coating his chin. Sehun pulled back finally and gestured to the blood quickly drying on his neck and chest. “You can have this too.”

“What?” Tao asked, confused that Sehun was offering him more. Sehun smiled.

“Drink the rest and I’ll tell you my story.” Tao still seemed unsure. He'd never met someone like Sehun before. He'd never met someone who didn't mind being made into a meal without any real reason. But he also saw the honest look of content on Sehun's face, so he leaned over and touched his tongue to Sehun's chest. Sehun let out a shaky breath as Tao's tongue pressed against skin before pulling Sehun's blood into his mouth. Then Tao moved his tongue upwards, sucking on Sehun's skin and swirling his tongue. Sehun wanted him to drink the rest and Tao would oblige.

"I was raised by a man, a vampire, named Yixing after my mother died. He was caring, funny, and a little scatterbrained. But most importantly he was gentle. I didn't even know what he was until years after he took me in. I woke from a nightmare and found him feeding in the kitchen." Sehun stopped to watch Tao suck his skin clean, leaving behind bruises and a harsh pink tint. Tao finished with his chest, easily, before moving onto his shoulder. "After that, he sat me down and explained what he was. He taught me how to spot a vampire and how to protect myself against one." Tao moved onto Sehun's neck, wrapping a hand around the opposite side. "He told me about him, and I told him that I didn't want him to drink from anyone else." Tao stopped suddenly.

"You are a blood whore," he whispered, mouth slick with Sehun's blood. Sehun shook his head.

"It's more complicated than that," Sehun whispered. Tao scoffed and glanced up at Sehun. "Yixing hated it. He agreed because I was persistent but he only took what he needed and he didn't take often. Then he'd spend days avoiding me until he would feed again. I never agreed because I wanted to give up my blood. I did it because I wanted to help. Help Yixing keep from hunting and help the world be safe from him. I wanted to help and be of use, but in the end, I was useless."

"What happened?" Tao asked between licks.

"He was killed. One night while I was asleep, a bunch of hunters came into our house and killed him." Tao finished, shuddered from a sense of fullness, and laid his head on Sehun's shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"So you brought me home, fucked me, and let me feed so you could feel useful?"

"I did that so you wouldn't do it to someone who's never glimpsed this life."

"I could have killed you," Tao whispered. Sehun smiled and turned to look at Tao, wincing slightly in pain. Tao frowned. "I could have torn out your throat and drank you dry."

"But you didn't," Sehun said.

"But I could have." Sehun shrugged. Tao shifted slightly and looked away suddenly. Sehun thought he saw a blush.

"What?"

"Your dick is poking me," Tao mumbled. Sehun laughed and pulled Tao close, wrapping his arms around him.

"Well you were just sucking at my skin and running your tongue all over me. It was hard not to get turned on."

"The fact that I was drinking your blood should have made it easy." Sehun shrugged, and reached a hand down to grab Tao's ass. Tao jumped and Sehun laughed. "How often do you do this?"

"Go home with a vampire? This is the first time. I haven’t had anyone feed off of me in years, since Yixing died." Tao rolled his eyes.

"You're an idiot." Sehun turned Tao towards him and kissed him roughly. Tao moaned under the contact, hips moving into a grind without realizing it. It wasn't long before Sehun flipped him onto his back and positioned himself over him.

The second time they fucked, with Sehun fucking Tao roughly into the couch, it ended not with Tao drinking Sehun's blood but with Sehun falling on top and drifting into sleep in Tao's arms.

Tao wasn’t sure how Sehun managed to do it, but he somehow talked the immortal creature into staying at his apartment for more than a week. It had started when Sehun woke the morning after their night to find his neck bandaged up. He touched it, confused, and then looked to where Tao was sitting with his skinny jeans pulled on but not buttoned. Tao refused to look at him, instead staring at the far, blank wall where Sehun had neglected to hang any personal items.

“You did this?” Sehun asked, sitting up. He scooted over on the couch so that his bare thigh resting against Tao’s clothed one. Tao tore his eyes away from the wall to stare at where their thighs touched too. Then slowly raised his eyes to stare into Sehun’s. He sucked in a deep breath.

“You started bleeding again.”

“Why didn’t you--”

“I didn’t want to overwhelm your body with the bite.” Sehun smiled.

“You’re nice, Zitao.” Tao looked away from Sehun and stood up. He walked a ways away. Tao wasn’t even sure why he’d stayed. He wasn’t sure why he had let himself be fucked by a human. Why he’d let Sehun sleep in his arms. Why he’d bandaged the wound and then watched as Sehun slept, the look of serenity on Sehun’s face bringing out serenity in Tao. But the strangest question of all was how Tao managed to stop himself from killing Sehun. He’d tasted so good and his blood was there for Tao’s taking. But Tao didn’t drain him dry, instead he’d let Sehun caress him and kiss him.

Tao doubted it was because he was nice.

Tao felt two wiry arms slip around his waist and pull him incredibly close to the body behind him. Sehun rested his chin on Tao’s shoulder. He tilted his head and placed a kiss to Tao’s neck. Tao gulped and the movement caused Sehun to chuckle.

“I’m not nice,” Tao said gruffly as Sehun kissed the expanse of skin between Tao’s neck and shoulder. “You’re wrong about me.”

“Then tear open my throat and prove me wrong.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Tao whispered. Sehun straightened and reached up to turn Tao’s face towards his with fingers on the his chin. Then he kissed him. This kiss was slow. Sehun flattened his palm against Tao’s cheek as he forced Tao’s lips open. It was slightly awkward for Tao because he was basically kissing Sehun over his shoulder, but Tao moaned immediately when Sehun’s tongue brushed over his teeth, both the human and not human ones. Tao turned immediately in Sehun’s arms to kiss him harder.

Sehun pulled back with a laugh. “I have to go to work.” Tao frowned, curious as to why Sehun would kiss him like that just to pull away. “But you’re welcome to stay until I get back. If you don’t want to, then thank you for the night and I hope we can maybe meet again.” He leaned forward and kissed Tao’s downturned mouth. “If you do want to, then I’ll try to hurry home.”

Tao had stayed that day and somehow when Sehun asked him to stay the day after that, he’d agreed. Then Sehun stopped asking and Tao stayed anyway. It was stupid, Tao knew. He wasn’t sure why he would stay. He couldn’t drink from Sehun during his detox period, two days after his blood was drank, because it could force a turn. Tao had no reason to stay, but he did. He stayed and everyday Sehun would flash him an incredible smile when he got home from work. Tao would smile too and be greeted by one of Sehun’s passionate kisses.

Then Tao would gladly let Sehun lead him to the bed where he would proceed to fuck Tao until neither of them could see straight. That was something else that Tao didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why he continued to let Sehun be on top. Sehun was human, the weaker of the two of them. But Tao couldn’t deny the pleasure and desire that he felt to have Sehun’s cock inside of him, filling him up completely.

Tao finally realized why he stayed when, a week after the first night, Sehun was taking him from behind against the kitchen counter. Tao’s hands were clenched so tightly to the counter’s edge that the knuckles were white and his hips dug into the edge. Sehun’s thrusts sent Tao’s hips careening into the counter and he’d let out a gasp of pain as the marble bit into his hips. But then Sehun would hit his prostate and the gasp would turn into drawn out moan. Sehun came inside of him and Tao didn’t even care that this had happened to him more than his pride would ever have allowed him to before. Sehun reached between Tao and the counter and jerked Tao to completion.

Sehun quickly moved to separate them, but Tao wrapped his fingers with Sehun’s and pulled him down so that Sehun’s chest was pressed against Tao’s back and their legs tangled together. They were both standing and Tao was pressed between the counter and Sehun with he and Sehun’s intertwined hands tucked beneath him. Sehun pressed his cheek to Tao’s shoulder and they seemed to take deep breathes in tandem.  It was awkward but Tao couldn’t stand the idea of Sehun leaving.

“Move in with me,” Tao said. Sehun’s eyes went wide and he shifted slightly to stare at Tao. Tao kept his face hidden because he couldn’t believe those words came out of his mouth either. Sehun finally tore himself away from Tao, leaving both of them missing the loss of warmth, to lean against the counter across from Tao. Tao straightened too, feeling a sharp pain up his back, without turning around.

“Move in with you?” Sehun asked. Tao brought his hands to the front so he could fiddle with his fingers nervously.

“Well, move into my coven’s house with me.” Tao had thought about just shutting up and waving the idea away. He thought about moving on and pretending he’d never opened his mouth. But the words had left his mouth, and he discovered that he absolutely wanted Sehun to move in with him.

“You want me to be your blood whore,” Sehun said. It wasn’t a question. Sehun knew what Tao’s request meant, what his answer would lead to.

“I want you to be my companion.” Tao snuck a look at Sehun over his shoulder. Sehun’s face was blank, revealing nothing about how he was reacting to Tao’s proposition. “I don’t think of you as the blood whore type.” This caused Sehun’s lip to quirk up in a smirk, and Tao turned around fully to look at him.

“Why?” Sehun asked. Tao’s eyes dropped to the ground. “Because I will? Because I won’t fight you when you drink from me? Because I’m available?” There was an edge to Sehun’s words. Tao looked at him again and saw the uncertainty on his face. Sehun seemed to think the proposal was aimed solely at Sehun’s willingness to let Tao drink from him. Tao knew differently.

He crossed the distance between them and took Sehun’s face between his hands. Sehun looked at him, still unsure. Tao tried to think of the right thing to say to help Sehun realize that it was about more than the blood for Tao. “No,” Tao gasped out. “Because I don’t want you to go away.”

A smile found it’s way onto Sehun’s face. He let out a shaky breath and Tao laughed at the relief on Sehun’s face. Sehun laughed too and Tao leaned over to kiss him. Sehun smiled into the kiss before wrapping his hands around Tao.

“So will you?” Tao asked. Sehun placed their foreheads together.

“It depends on one thing.”

“Yeah?”

“I want my freedom, my independence. You don’t talk to me like I’m a slave. You don’t treat me like I’m a slave. I say what I want. I do as I like. I come and go as I please.” Tao smiled.

“Sehun, I wouldn’t want you if you acted like a submissive slave.” Sehun kissed Tao again.

“Then we’re all set, huh?”

Tao shifted uncomfortably as he waited for one of them to answer the door. He wanted to run away. He wasn’t sure that Wufan would let him back in the house yet. He hadn’t told any of them that he was coming home or that he was bringing anyone with him. He didn’t know if he would even make it past the threshold. The only thing keeping him from running in the other direction was Sehun’s hand snuggly wrapped around his own.

The door opened to reveal a confused Luhan with a smiling Jongin peeking over his shoulder. They both stilled and stared with open mouths at Tao in the doorway. Tao took a deep breath and tried to see past them, but he couldn’t.

“I’ll get Wufan,” Jongin announced before disappearing. Luhan continued staring.

“You came back,” he said. Tao took a deep breath. “Some of us didn’t think you would. Wufan told us not to expect you back. But you really came back, Tao.” Luhan looked unsure for a second before looking behind him to see if anyone was listening. I’m glad, he mouthed at Tao. Tao offered him a small smile.

Thank you, he mouthed to Luhan. Luhan seemed to notice Sehun for the first time. His face contorted in confusion again and he opened his mouth to say something. Then he was gone, replaced by nothing. Tao took a shaky breath because suddenly Wufan was there, staring down at Tao with narrowed eyes.

“Wufan,” Tao began, but he didn’t get to finish because Wufan stepped outside, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and slammed him against the wall.

“Didn’t I tell you not to return until you learned some control?” Tao looked at the crowd of people spilling out of the doorway, staring at the scene.

“I have,” Tao said. Wufan shook him hard, and Tao’s head hit against the house siding.

“Bullshit. You can’t learn that in a few days.”

“You don’t understand,” Tao said, hands coming up and grabbing Wufan’s hard. Wufan looked at the hold, something easily seen as disrespectful, and scowled. “I stopped. Like you can stop with Baekhyun, I stopped for him.” Wufan blinked a few times, confusion evident on his face, before looking over his shoulder to where Sehun was standing, watching the whole scene with a bag over his shoulder and concern in his expression. Everyone else looked too. Chanyeol gasped and Suho’s eyebrows went up very high.

“Who is that?” Wufan asked, turning back to Tao.

“Ask him yourself.” Wufan shook Tao again before dropping him and advancing on Sehun. Sehun stood his ground, meeting Wufan’s harsh glare with a steady gaze. Wufan circled him slowly, eyeing him up and down. Sehun kept his gaze on Wufan, seeming fearless, but the tense of his jaw let Tao know that even he was slightly intimidated by Wufan.

“Who are you?”

“My name’s Oh Sehun,” Sehun replied without a quiver in his voice. Tao smiled at Sehun’s bravery and at the realization that Sehun’s last name was Oh. He probably should have known that before asking the guy to move in with him.

“And you met our Zitao, how exactly?” Wufan inquired. Sehun laughed.

“At a club.” Wufan frowned and looked at Tao who was sending Sehun a reassuring smile. Wufan reached forward and grabbed Sehun’s neck. Sehun gasped, but Wufan nearly tilted his neck to the side and pulled his collar down to reveal the ring of teeth marks that Tao had left. Tao gasped and quickly rushed to separate Wufan and Sehun. He got between them, pushed Wufan away, and checked to make sure the wound didn’t open again. He had fed from Sehun that morning, and he didn’t want him bleeding here and now.

“So he knows what you are? What we are?” Tao and Sehun both remained quiet, but Tao slowly shook his head yes. “What the hell are you doing, Tao?”

“This was your order. You told me to get a blood whore, and I did. So why are you so against this?”

“Because you just brought a stranger into our home. You don’t know him. He could be a Hunter or fucking crazy.” Tao stared at Wufan with wide eyes. He reached behind him to take Sehun’s hand in his.

“Wufan,” a voice called out from behind them. Everyone turned to see Baekhyun looking at the scene with a very unhappy expression on his face. Wufan looked at his blood whore, and waited to see what his valued companion would say. “Tao did exactly what you asked. He found a blood whore to help him control his hunger. And Sehun is no more a stranger than I was when you first brought me here. I'm sure he is a fine young man and a perfect fit for Tao. Stop being stubborn, and let them inside."

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and very obviously stormed off. Wufan sent a look at everyone before looking one final time at Tao and Sehun and running off after an upset Baekhyun. Everyone was silent for a second before Jongin snickered. Luhan promptly made the motion of cracking a whip before bursting into fits of laughter.

Everyone chuckled along, and despite not really understanding why it was funny, Sehun smiled. Tao squeezed his hand before pulling him close and throwing an arm over his shoulder and leading him towards the house. People stared at the two as they pass, and Sehun felt like he was on display. Not a comfortable thing for a human in a room of vampires.

Tao nodded to Suho, who was looking at Sehun. Kyungsoo looked too, either given permission to stare or not caring. "Sehun, this is one of our Coven Elders, Suho. Suho, this is Sehun." Sehun gave an awkward wave of his hand and Suho offered him his usual broad smile.

"Welcome, Sehun. Despite how Wufan might have seemed earlier, we are happy to have you join the family. Baekhyun was right. You seem to be a good match for Tao. I worry that Tao had become very lonely. I'm glad that you could come along and--” Suho’s gentle welcoming was pushed aside when Luhan and Jongin came to inspect Sehun further.

“He is handsome, isn’t he?” Jongin asked, reaching out to run his fingers down Sehun’s jaw. Tao batted his hand away.

“Certainly,” Luhan agreed, sneaking behind them to squeeze Sehun in between he and Jongin. He placed an arm around Sehun’s waist, and Sehun squeaked in shock. Tao growled and pushed Luhan away from Sehun. Luhan, being the pain in the ass that he was with everyone and the horny bastard that he was with Jongin, took hold of Sehun’s hand and tugged lightly. “You know, Sehun, if you would ever be interested, Jongin and I would love for you to join us sometime. We may be a bit crazier than Tao, but you would have fun.”

“Luhan,” Tao growled, childishly severing the contact between Sehun and Luhan by yanking Sehun back. Luhan immediately began to pout, lower lip jutting out and cheeks puffing up. Sehun smiled at Tao’s unamused expression. Luhan turned to tug on Jongin’s sleeve to which Jongin responded by patting Luhan’s head. This seemed to make Luhan happy as he looped an arm with Jongin who promptly led him away.

“They seem friendly,” Sehun told Tao after they’d left.

“A pain in my ass, really. Don’t let Luhan ever get dirt on you because he and Jongin will never let you live it down. They believe in taking pleasure from the misery of others.” Sehun smiled and it felt warm and caused Tao’s insides to flutter. He smiled too. Someone cleared his throat and Tao looked at Suho and Kyungsoo, having honestly forgotten about them.

“If neither of you mind, Kyungsoo will take Sehun on a tour and show him the kitchen and food supply.” Tao nodded and motioned for Sehun to follow Kyungsoo. Sehun looked unsure for a second, but Tao smiled. Sehun thanked Suho before following Kyungsoo out of the room. Suho turned to Tao with a sweet smile. “You must really like him.”

“Whatever,” Tao said, looking down at the ground.

“So what’s his story?” Suho asked, curious. He didn’t seem suspicious. Just genuinely interested in knowing how Sehun came to be with Tao in the week that he was gone.

“He was raised by one of the Night Children,” Tao said. “A man named Yixing. Ever heard of him?” Suho shook his head. “He apparently took Sehun in when he was very young. Even kept what he was a secret. Finally Sehun found out and became his surrogate father’s blood whore, but he insists that it’s more complicated.”

“So he didn’t hesitate to let you drink from him,” Suho said. He nodded in understand. “And you just asked him to be your blood whore?”

“More or less,” Tao said. He couldn’t stop the fond smile from creeping onto his face. Suho laughed and slapped a hand onto Tao’s shoulder. Tao almost fell over but he laughed anyway.

“Well, I hope you’re happy.”

“I am,” Tao said, looking off into the direction that Sehun had disappeared.

Sehun fell onto the bed and stretched, arms and legs draping off the edges of the four poster bed. Tao smiled as he sat down on the edge. Sehun immediately curled onto his side to wrap his arms around Tao’s waist and pull him close. Tao smiled as he smoothed down Sehun’s hair.

“This place is huge,” Sehun mumbled into the mattress.

“It does need to be big enough to house all of Exo. That’s our Coven name, by the way.” Sehun chuckled with a barely audible “lame” under his breath. Tao laughed before rolling Sehun onto his back. Sehun smiled as Tao twisted to kiss him, fingers gliding over Sehun’s jaw. Sehun reached down to fit his hands under Tao’s shirt. Tao’s stomach quivered under the touch and Sehun was just about to slip Tao’s shirt off when suddenly the door opened.

They broke apart and looked at Baekhyun standing in the doorway. Tao pulled his shirt back down and Sehun looked away, a blush overwhelming his features. Baekhyun merely smiled that sickeningly bright smile that Wufan melted over. “You guys don’t waste time, huh?”

“What do you want?” Tao asked, an unhappy expression settling onto his face. Sehun looked between he and Baekhyun, his embarrassment forgotten in the wake of the sudden tension. Baekhyun frowned.

“Tao, I’m sorry about the other day. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been sent away. I’m sorry.” Tao didn’t say anything.

“Thank you,” Sehun said. Both Tao and Baekhyun turned to stare at Sehun enigmatically. "If it wouldn't have been for whatever you did, then I never would have met Zitao." Baekhyun opened his mouth to say something that would seem appropriate. He couldn’t thank Sehun for his kind words or even express his gratitude with a “you're welcome” because he knew it would only anger Tao. So he sent Sehun an appreciative smile before apologizing once again to Tao and leaving.

Sehun looked at Tao, who tensed his jaw and turned away. Sehun got up and moved over to where Tao was sitting on the edge of the bed. He wrapped his arms around Tao’s midsection and pulled him close. He nuzzled his face into Tao’s neck, running his nose along the line of Tao’s jugular. Tao remained stiff, not moving to touch or kiss Sehun.

“Zitao--”

“You had no right,” Tao hissed. “That had nothing to do with you. You should have stayed out of it.” Sehun ran his nose up higher to brush behind his ear. Tao sucked in a sharp breath without meaning to. He quickly stood up and moved away. Sehun stayed where he was, kneeling on the bed, and looked at Tao.

“Zitao, you don’t need to feel so angry anymore.” Tao glanced at him over his shoulder. “Whatever you were feeling when we met, it’s over. You don’t need to feel anger or resentment or sadness anymore because you aren’t alone.” Sehun got up and moved over to Tao to turn him around and pull him close. He pressed his cheek against Tao’s and smoothed his hair. “You aren’t alone anymore.”

Tao’s hands came up to rest on Sehun’s chest, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. They were pressed so close that Tao could feel his knuckles brushing against his own chest. He let Sehun comfort him despite the fact that Sehun didn’t even understand the situation or how he felt and why he felt that way. Tao just wanted Sehun to keep holding him so he would. It was merely another thing Tao added to the list of things he didn’t understand.

He let Sehun stroke his hair for a long while before he spoke. “Thank you,” he whispered into Sehun’s ear. Sehun turned and placed a kiss just below Tao’s ear, and Tao pulled back so he could look at Sehun but he didn’t pull away and he preserved the proximity. “I’m not usually so unkind to anyone, but--”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, I want you to know that I’m not--I’m not cruel. I just--” Tao looked unsure and Sehun smiled. He leaned over and pressed his lips to Tao’s, hands coming up to grab ahold of Tao’s shoulders before slipping around to dance over his collarbones. Tao’s hand swiftly tightened in Sehun’s shirt. Sehun pulled back finally, dragging Tao’s bottom lip between his own before letting it go, with a wide smile on his face.

“Whenever you're ready. I know you aren’t cruel, Zitao. I know.” Tao looked at him before crashing their lips together again. Tao kissed him ferociously and hungrily because, god, did he find Sehun so perfect. Tao always waited for the catch with Sehun, for him to discover something to make him suspicious and angry with the young man. But even his intrusion into the matters with Baekhyun had been with good and pure purpose.

Tao advanced on him, forcing Sehun towards the bed. He hit it with the back of his knees and they both toppled down, Tao landing on top of Sehun with a thud. The wood of the bed poster beat against the wall and the sound made Tao laugh as he thought the whole house better get used to that sound. Sehun reached down and grabbed the hem of Tao’s shirt before swiftly pulling it over his head. Then he pulled his own over his head.

Tao’s most recent bite had left Sehun’s skin pink and slightly swollen looking. Tao winced at the sight, but Sehun shook his head. Tao leaned over and kissed the ring of teeth marks, which caused their naked chests to presh flush against each other. Sehun gasped but it slowly dissolved into a moan as Tao stuck out a tongue to lick at the wound. His breath was warm and his tongue was wet, and both of them greatly desired something they couldn’t have.

“Drink from me,” Sehun moaned. Tao shook his head, as he continued to suck and lick hickies to the surface of Sehun’s skin. It was honest torture. The fact that he was putting himself so close to Sehun’s blood was taunting the beast, but Sehun was moaning and whimpering his name and Tao just wanted to please him.

He was so focused on forcefully sucking Sehun’s blood to just below the surface that he didn’t even notice when Sehun’s fingers slipped inside his skinny jeans. Sehun’s bony little hand curled itself around his cock and Tao gasped, mouth opening and teeth grazing over Sehun’s skin. Sehun groaned at the sensation and quickly pushed Tao’s pants down to his knees, running a hand over the smooth skin of his ass before bringing a hand around again to take hold of Tao’s dick.

“Sehun--” Tao groaned, as Sehun began to pump him to full hardness. Tao arched his back away from Sehun so he could rest his forehead against the younger man’s chest. His hips rose to provide Sehun more room. Tao hands gripped onto Sehun’s shoulders, nails sinking so deep into flesh that they both wondered if Tao would draw blood.

Sehun quickly kept stroking, faster and faster as Tao thrusted his hips into Sehun’s hand. Sehun was aware of his own erection, pressing against his jeans uncomfortably, but he didn’t need friction at the moment. He was a little too mesmerized by what he did to Tao to even think about himself. He wanted Tao to be in ecstasy. To be honest, that was why Sehun had always insisted on topping before. It was because he wanted to please Tao and ensure that he was feeling good.

Tao came onto Sehun’s hand and stomach with a moan. His fingers clutched harder at Sehun’s shoulder and both of them tensed when his nails broke skin and little pinpricks of blood appeared. Sehun smiled, realizing that he won. Tao wouldn’t be able to resist drinking from him if his blood was exposed. Tao took a few moments to ride out his orgasm with shallow, quick jerks of his hips before he looked up at the scarlet making it’s way over Sehun’s shoulder. His eyes glazed over and Sehun wiped his hand on the sheet before rubbing Tao’s back.

“Just do it, Zitao. It’ll be okay.”

“Your detox period,” Tao muttered weakly.

“Just don’t bite me. As long as I don’t get bit, I’ll be okay.” Tao shook his head and turned away, but even without Sehun’s urging he turned his eyes back to the blood. His senses were flooding with the desire to feed. He smelled the blood. Sehun’s blood smelled like freshly cut cinnamon with a sharp sting to it that Tao loved. Tao could hear the blood rushing in Sehun’s veins, fast to the beat of his heart, as it went south to where he still suffered from an erection. Tao could practically taste Sehun’s blood in his mouth, thick as it mixed with his saliva and slid down his throat.

Tao made a split second decision and reached for Sehun’s pants. He undid the buttons swiftly before Sehun could protest. If he couldn’t feel Sehun’s blood in his mouth, then he’d choose the next best thing. Sehun finally caught up to what was happening and he looked down with wide eyes as Tao pulled his pants down low enough so that his erection was open to the air. Tao gripped the base of his shaft and looked at Sehun.

“Just don’t move too much, okay? I might bite you if you do.” Sehun gulped and nodded slowly, eyes focused on the extra sharp canines protruding from Tao’s gums. Tao took a deep breath and fit his lips around the crown of Sehun’s dick. Sehun gasped and pushed his shoulders into the bed to stop himself from bucking his hips upward. Tao relaxed his tongue to make room for more of Sehun and Sehun’s knuckles tightened into the sheets of the bed. Tao had never given Sehun head before, and Sehun cursed him for it.

Tao took Sehun whole, mouth opened wide and muscles all relaxed to accommodate the size in his mouth. Tao hadn’t given head to anyone since he was human, and he’d only ever given it to Wufan back when he was Wufan’s blood whore. He was sure he was out of practice and he worried that this wouldn’t be good for Sehun. But his fears were quickly wiped away when Sehun cursed loudly before moaning.

Tao closed his eyes and began bobbing his head so that his lips slid over the length of the shaft. This also allowed him room to use his tongue. He swiped his tongue over as much skin as he could, careful to lick at the thick vein on the underside and lick away the precum leaking from the tip. Being accustomed to drinking blood and ushering that down his throat made him very adept in using his tongue, so Tao made a rolling motion with the muscle, one similar to the one he used when he fed, on the underside of Sehun’s cock. The motion had Sehun gasping Tao’s name to the melody of “Zitao Fuck Holy fuck Zitao” as his hands quickly left the sheets and fisted in Tao’s hair instead.

Tao took him all the way again, forcing the crown to the back of his throat where he swallowed around the tip. The look of concentration on Tao’s face had Sehun panting and whining. He was close, and he wanted to voice that so Tao could stop before he came.

“Zitao--” he tried, but he stopped immediately when Tao hummed, sending vibrations up his shaft. A shiver began in his toes and traveled up the length of his body and settled somewhere deep in his core, leaving behind a cold sweat. He came like that, and had to sit up quickly to prevent himself from bucking his hips upward into Tao’s throat. He expected Tao to pull away from swallowing his cum, but Tao was a pro at ushering liquid down his throat. He did it swiftly with the same rolling motion of his tongue. He finished and removed Sehun’s cock from his mouth to look up at Sehun from the other man’s lap.

Sehun tugged him up by his hair and crashed their lips together. His mouth opened quickly under Sehun’s ferocity. Their tongues swiped against one another, and Tao wasn’t surprised that Sehun didn’t mind that Tao tasted of him. Sehun just welcomed the warmth of Tao’s mouth in the hopes that it would banish the chill from his orgasm.

Tao finally pulled back and smiled fondly. “I haven’t done that in a while,” he said, Sehun reached a hand up to brush some of the sweaty hair off of Tao's forehead.

“That’s a shame because you are really good at it,” Sehun said a little breathlessly. “So do you want to fuck now?” Sehun asked. Tao pulled Sehun’s pants up and then his own, before collapsing onto his back on the bed. Sehun followed, slightly confused, but curled into Tao’s side regardless.

“We have all the time in the world, Sehun. Let’s not rush.”

Sehun thought it was funny that Tao didn’t want them to rush as Tao fucked him almost everyday for the next two months. He didn’t seem to need proper provocation or arousal. Sehun would smile or playfully slide his fingers up Tao’s arm in the kitchen and the next thing he knew, he would be on his back with his legs spread wide and Tao’s cock pressed so far inside of him that his eyes would prick with tears.

Tao seemed to stick to the mentality that he topped in his house. Whether it was on the bed or the abandoned desk in the corner, whether it was in the bathroom, angled so they both had to watch in the mirror as Tao pounded into him, or against the far wall that separated Tao from Wufan’s room, Tao was always on top.

Sehun didn’t mind. He liked to watch the emotional progression on Tao’s face. It began as lust as Tao anticipated the moment when he could slip inside his lover and bask in the warmth. Then his face would melt into brief concern as Sehun gasped in pain and tears began in his eyes. The concern would be replaced by absolute pleasure as Sehun closed around him, forcing Tao to fit inside perfectly. Ferocity would take over as he began his thrusts, causing Sehun to arch his back and cry out Tao’s name. Euphoria would fit over his features next as he climaxed, releasing inside of Sehun. After all of that, the final emotion to settle on Tao’s face was always hunger, the hunger to fill himself with Sehun life blood.

During those two months, Sehun and Tao usually were always tucked away in Tao’s room. If they weren’t fucking or preparing to fuck, then they were probably doing one of two things. They were either cuddling, arms and legs mixing together so that it was impossible to decide where one body started and the other ended, or Tao had his teeth buried deep into Sehun’s skin, blood warming his insides and bringing him more emotionally close to oneness with Sehun.

In one of the rare occasions that something pulled them out of Tao’s room, Tao didn’t smother Sehun with affection. Sehun noticed that some other the others couples did. Wufan fawned over Baekhyun and did anything he could to bring a smile to his bright face. Suho gave Kyungsoo little gestures like held hands and caresses that seemed to make the usually submissive Kyungsoo burst with joy. Even Luhan and Kai seemed to be connected at the hip, giving each other bold kisses and touches in public.

But Tao didn’t do that. When they were around the others, Tao would rarely touch Sehun. If they touched at all, it was because Sehun initiated contact. It wasn’t because Tao was cold but because he didn’t want to flaunt Sehun as a blood whore. That’s how they saw him, but that wasn’t how Tao saw him. Tao prized Sehun, more than he’d ever tell anyone in words, but Sehun knew it in the way that Tao smoothed back his hair and kissed his skin. Tao didn’t parade him around because he didn’t want people to mistake their relationship.

One time, Tao and Sehun were pressed close beneath the sheets after the sun rose on a very long night together. Sehun felt an intense ache in his back and hips, and Tao was at complete peace as he listened to Sehun’s steady breathing. Sehun snuggled close to Tao, running the tip of his nose over Tao’s skin in that way that drove Tao crazy, and Tao was just about to voice his insanity when there was a knock on the door.

The door opened to reveal Baekhyun with Kyungsoo right behind him. Tao scowled because it was early, too early for Baekhyun to be causing him trouble, and he didn’t want any disruptions. Sehun blinked back sleep and everyone stared at each other for several brief seconds.

“Kyungsoo and I are making a run to the grocery store. We were wondering if Sehun wanted to join us. He’s been here for two months, but he only ever eats what’s around. We were wondering if he wanted to buy some foods that he actually likes.” Baekhyun smiled. Sehun smiled too but he merely pressed his face harder against Tao’s chest, feeling the warmth sink into his cheek.

“I’m okay,” Sehun singsonged in content. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Tao’s embrace, not even for the promise of food. “I’ve lived on tv dinners for years, so I’ll eat anything.” Tao frowned at that. TV dinners weren't good for anyone, and he didn’t want Sehun to suffer from malnutrition.

“You should go,” Tao suggested. Sehun raised his head and looked up at him, small frown pulling at his lips. “I don’t want to know what the sodium from frozen dinners is going to do to your blood.” Sehun playfully slapped Tao’s arm, but sat up anyway.

“Great,” Baekhyun said. “We’ll meet you downstairs.” Baekhyun shut the door, and Sehun immediately stood up to get changed. He picked up his jeans from the floor that he’d worn before crawling into bed the night before. He took a whiff of them and threw them far away from him. Then he moved over to the wardrobe and opened it, looking for an appropriate thing to wear.

Tao watched with total fixation as Sehun’s naked form looked through clothes. His little wiry arms stretched wide to allow his nimble fingers to caress fabrics and patterns. Sehun finally decided on a shirt, pulled it out and slipped it over his head. Tao frowned as the material hid Sehun’s bare shoulders and back and only left a glimpse of his ass beneath the hem. Tao groaned and Sehun looked at him over his shoulder with a teasing smile.

“Better finish dressing in the bathroom or else I’m going to drag you back here and keep you from going.”

Tao gave Sehun a big kiss in the doorway before seeing him off with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Baekhyun quickly looped his arms with the other two before dragging them down the driveway and out of sight. Tao sighed, resigning himself to a boring day, before turning to go back to his room. He was met with the sight of Wufan standing at the top of the steps. Tao let a frown settle onto his face before attempting to move past his creator. Wufan threw out an arm blocking his progression up the stairs.

“What, Wufan?” Tao asked, not desiring whatsoever to engage in an argument this early.

“I wanted--” Wufan stopped and looked extremely uncomfortable. “Can we talk in a more private environment? This will be the first time for us to talk without our blood whores around.” Tao sighed, knowing that resisting would result in more of a headache than just agreeing. So he nodded and let Wufan lead them to his room.

Tao looked at how it had changed since he’d last spent time in it. Since he stopped being Wufan’s lover, he hadn’t set foot in this room. It used to be plain and dull, but now it was colorful and had all these cheesy touches that weren’t Wufan at all. They were all Baekhyun, and Tao’s nose wrinkled in disgust. Tao took note of the messy bed and moved to stand along the farthest wall from it.

“I wanted to apologize,” Wufan said, shutting the door and moving to sit on the edge of the bed closest to Tao. “About what happened.” Tao laughed humorlessly and Wufan looked down at his hands.

“A little late, huh? That was over two months ago, Wufan. Damage done and over.”

“But I still want to apologize. I still need to apologize. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I overreacted and I am sorry.”

“I don’t want you to apologize. I won’t accept it. You were just doing what you usually do. You chose your blood whore over me, and that is nothing new.” Wufan quickly stood up.

“Tao, don’t play the jilted lover card with me. You were the one who asked me to never touch or kiss you again. Then you requested freedom, and you left me, confused and heartbroken, for six years. I didn’t know if you were ever going to come back. But I waited. For months, I waited until finally Suho told me not to anymore. So I got up, and I moved on. I found someone new, someone who wouldn’t get tired of me. Don’t act like I tossed you aside.”

“Things stopped being the same between us the moment you turned me,” Tao hissed, voice rising. “The minute you couldn’t drink my blood any more, you stopped caring about me. You started distancing yourself from me, and you stopped being the sweet, gentle Wufan that you were with me. You promised me forever, but all I got were a few worthless years. I always loved you more than you loved me. I thought I would get to spend eternity with you, but you stopped wanting me the day that I became like you.”

“That’s bullshit!” Wufan said. “I always fucking loved you, Tao. I turned you and you started acting uncontrollably. I thought it was because I was too restricting. You took almost five years to leave your newborn phase and I thought it was because I was controlling. But I laid with you every night and told you how much I loved you. Then all of a sudden we stopped making love, and next thing I know, you left.” Tao scoffed.

“Save it, Wufan. Whatever bullshit you’ve conjured up in your mind should stay there. I don’t want to hear anything that you have to stay.”

“As always, you are so fucking afraid to just talk about feelings. If you had told me a long time ago about how you felt, then maybe everything between us could have been avoided.”

“I did tell you about my feelings, remember? I told you I loved you and then you made me into this,” Tao said with a disgusted face and a sweep of his hand to cover his frame. “See what talking about my feelings got me?”

“You asked me to make you into one of us,” Wufan growled. “You begged me to. Don’t place that blame onto me.”

“I asked you for forever. Something you promised but could never deliver. Was my blood not good enough? Is that why you told me you were leaving? Was it a lie? Was I too clingy? Please, let me know so I can apologize properly.”

“Dammit, Tao, stop. I wasn’t trying to pick a fight. I was trying to honestly apologize.”

“You don’t seem to understand that I don’t want to hear it.” Tao felt tears sting his eyes, but he wasn’t going to cry. Not here. Not over this. He’d shed so many tears over this. He’d spent most of his six years away from the coven, crying over his lost love. He’d cried all he could. “Besides, this has Baekhyun written all over it. Was it his idea for you to patch things up with me? What? Does he think that now we’ll bond over the fact that we both let you fuck us and drain us?”

“No,” Wufan said. “It was Sehun’s actually.”

Baekhyun watched Sehun over the tops of the aisles. Wufan had asked him to take the boy out and talk to him, try to understand him. He tried to ask normal conversation questions to get Sehun to open up, but Sehun just smiled and gave short answers. He didn’t seem keen on saying too much, and Baekhyun wondered if he was just shy or hiding something.

Sehun looked up and saw him staring. Baekhyun blushed quickly and looked away. Sehun smiled and came around an aisle to dump a bunch of microwave noodle packets into the basket. Baekhyun’s mouth dropped and even Kyungsoo lifted his head to stare wide-eyed. Sehun shrugged with an embarrassed smile on his face.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun said when Kyungsoo took the cart to the cashier to pay. Baekhyun and Sehun were sitting on a bench outside of the grocery store, and Baekhyun had been staring at Sehun in an attempt to understand him. When Sehun said his name, Baekhyun jumped, worried that he’d been caught staring. “Can I ask you something?”

“S-sure,” Baekhyun said.

“What’s the situation with you and Zitao?” Baekhyun bit his lip.

“I’m Wufan’s blood whore,” Baekhyun began. Sehun nodded, urging him to continue. “And a long time ago, so was Tao.” Sehun’s eyes got wide for a brief second. He honestly hadn’t considered that since Tao seemed to abhor even the idea of blood whores. But knowing that Tao used to be one suddenly made everything shift into place. “I shouldn’t be telling you this. This is his story.”

“Then just give me your side.” Baekhyun sighed.

“Before I was even born, Tao was Wufan’s blood whore. They met in the 70’s back in China. They’d quickly gotten caught up together, and when Wufan had to leave, Tao begged him to turn him. So he did, and something happened between them. Wufan won’t even tell me all the details. About ten years ago, Tao left suddenly. He broke Wufan’s heart. In the six years that he was gone, Fan met me. I used to be an Idol trainee, but I got addicted to drugs.” Sehun’s mouth opened in shock and Baekhyun laughed. “Weren’t expecting that, huh? I resorted to selling my body for drugs, and Wufan found me just before I overdosed one day. He laid me down in an alley and drank as much blood as he could to rid my body of the toxins. Then he took me home and nursed me back to health. When I was better, I thanked him in the only way I could.”

“I’m not sure what to say.” Baekhyun smiled.

“At first, it was weird for me. Having someone drink my blood made me feel weak and disgusting. But Wufan is such a gentleman. We didn’t have sex for the first eight months. He settled for just drinking my blood and then he’d put me to bed. He’d shower me with gifts and jewelry, and before I knew it, I really loved him. I loved him beyond the creature that he was. I loved who he was. I told him that and he just smiled and told me that he loved me too, and everything was perfect, magical. But then Tao came back.

“He came back and expected Wufan to just take him back. He’d shattered Wufan’s heart into pieces, and he just expected everything to be okay. He’d stood in the doorway, and I could tell all the hurt that Wufan had pushed away was swiftly returning. I remember reaching for his hand, and that’s when Tao finally noticed that Wufan had moved on. He’s hated me from the first moment we ever met, without giving me a chance or explaining why. I don’t think he hates me because he’s jealous. I think he hates me because he pities me. He used to be me but he became a self loathing creature. He worries that I’ll become him.”

Baekhyun wasn’t expecting Sehun to reach out and hug him. Baekhyun jumped but reached up to return Sehun’s hug. Sehun pulled back and lowered his head in gratitude. Baekhyun laughed, waving his gesture away with a hand in the air.

“Thank you for telling me,” Sehun said, still bowed.

“Why did you ask?” Baekhyun wondered. “Were you curious?”

“I’m trying to help,” Sehun said as he straightened. He clasped his hands together in his lap and looked down at them. “Even now, I can tell that he has a lot of unresolved issues and long standing resentment. I don’t want him to feel that way. I want him to move on too. Not because I think his feelings will interfere with our relationship, but because I can tell that he’s in pain. Housing so many negative feelings will cause people to break. I don’t want him to break.” Baekhyun stared at the kind words that had just come tumbling out of Sehun’s mouth. Sehun looked and blushed at Baekhyun’s silence. He reached up to hide his face behind his hands.

“I think that’s sweet,” Baekhyun said as he pried Sehun’s hands away from his face. “I think Tao needed someone like you.” Kyungsoo came out of the store with multiple bags in his hands. They both jumped up to help him carry them home. The trio made their way back in silence, but Baekhyun was happy that he’d learn Sehun’s intentions. But it wasn’t until he returned home that an unsettling feeling washed over him as he realized that he’d revealed so much about his past to Sehun without learning anything in return.

“What?” Tao asked sharply. Wufan nodded.

“Sehun came to me to ask for information about your past. I didn’t tell him anything, but that seemed to speak even louder to him than my words ever could have. He asked me to talk to you, to apologize. I agreed because he was right. I treated you unfairly, and I wanted to atone for it. I am sorry.”

“Why would he do that?” Wufan shrugged.

“He didn’t tell me. You can ask him yourself later, but right now we need to fix this between us. It’s lasted too long and neither of us has done anything to end it. I’m sorry that I’ve been harsh with you. I’m sorry that I’ve paraded Baekhyun in front of you for years. I’m sorry that I’ve made you so miserable. I just wanted to get back at you, and I am disgusted with myself for it.” Tao’s eyes went wide. “Please, forgive me. I did love you once, Tao, and though I don’t anymore, I still care for you. All of the nasty things that I said to you before and all the horrible things that I’ve done to you, please forgive me for all of them.” Then Wufan did something that Tao never believed he’d see with his own eyes. He watched as Wufan placed a balled fist to a flat palm and bowed in respect and atonement.

“I-” Tao began, tears collecting on his eyelashes. “I’m sorry too. I was so angry for so long that I took your happiness with Baekhyun as a personal dig rather than what it was. Healing. I’m sorry that I’ve been so selfish. For begging you to turn me and then hating you for it. For leaving, which I only did because I was scared that our relationship was crumbling, when you needed me to help you fix us. For returning and being the worst person that I could. I’m sorry too.”

Wufan stood to see the tears falling down Tao’s face. He opened his arms and Tao quickly went to him. Wufan embraced him and let Tao cry out all of his feelings for the last thirty years. He held Tao not as a creator or lover, but as a close friend who was gone for a long time but had finally returned. Tao cried until he didn’t hurt anymore and a weight was lifted from his chest. He wiped his eyes and made a mental note to thank Sehun and maybe even try to mend things with Baekhyun.

He didn’t realize how much more he could love when his heart wasn’t overwhelmed with hate.

Tao didn’t care that there were people in the living room. As soon as Sehun returned from his shopping trip, Tao grabbed him around the waist and kissed him. Sehun dropped the bags he was holding and threw his arms around Tao’s neck. They were both vaguely aware of Jongin snickering and Luhan shouting for them to get a room, but they didn’t care. Tao pulled back and whispered a thanks to Sehun that only he could hear. Sehun smiled and went back for another kiss.

Baekhyun walked over to Wufan who threw an arm over his shoulders. They both stared on, happy knowing that Sehun was really the one responsible for Tao’s sudden change in attitude. Tao felt free, like he was finally out of a cage he’d trapped himself in for too long, and Sehun had come along with the key and the courage to release him. He wasn’t scared to get his hands dirty in the mess of Tao’s past and Tao could do nothing but thank him for it. Being free felt so good.

“So,” Luhan said when Sehun and Tao finally separated, “are you guys going to go fuck and disappear for days again?” Tao frowned and grabbed the closest pillow and threw it at Luhan, who deflected it easily. However the angle that Luhan batted it away at sent it right into Jongin’s face. Tao and Sehun immediately bursted into laughter, and the rest of the room followed until everyone was clutching their stomachs and wiping away laugh tears.

“Actually,” Tao said when the laughter died down. “I think Sehun and I are going to hang out here with you guys for a while.” Sehun smiled wide at Tao, and everyone was feeling the new sense of peace from Tao and floated around the room like an infection. Even Kyungsoo was acting bold enough to reach out and grab Suho’s hand. Suho looked at him with wide eyes but smiled.

“Are we celebrating?” Kyungsoo asked so low that Suho would have been the only one to hear if they weren’t in a room of Night Children. Suho turned to Wufan as if to repeat the question. Wufan slipped his arms around Baekhyun’s waist and nodded. A blooming smile swept over Kyungsoo’s face and he tugged on Suho’s arm in excitement. “I have a bottle of wine.” He and Suho left the room and the audible sound of lips crashing together could be heard to even the humans.

“So, while I’m not complaining that the whole house is swept up in rainbows and sunshine,” Chanyeol said in his booming voice, “what exactly are we celebrating?” Tao smiled as he placed a tender kiss to Sehun’s forehead.

“Forgiving,” Wufan answered. Tao looked at him.

“And moving forward,” he added. The whole crowd seemed incredibly shocked to see the two acting as friends. They were all intelligent enough to realize that Tao and Wufan had finally worked out their long standing issues, and both had let go of the negative feelings and resentment. The whole house seemed lighter and they were all very eager to celebrate the change in dynamics.

Suho and Kyungsoo came back each with a bottle in hand. “A 2006 Merlot for you guys,” Suho said gesturing to the bottle in Kyungsoo’s hands. He raised the bottle in his own. “And a 2012 O negative for us.” Sehun smiled and Tao pressed lips to his ear.

“Yours is still my favorite,” he whispered and Sehun leaned against him heavily.

“Then don’t fill up,” Sehun responded. Tao smiled, but accepted the glass anyway. They all sat around the living room. They drank and laughed and there was an undeniable new sense of unity between them that hadn’t been there in years. Jokes were made and even Sehun joined in to pick on Luhan when he called for it. They quickly lost track of time and it was soon deep into the night.

One by one they all retired for the night. Chanyeol excused himself for the night and left the house entirely. Luhan and Jongin practically skipped to their room, both blood drunk and incredibly horny. Baekhyun slipped into heavy inebriation and Wufan left to put him to bed. Kyungsoo didn’t get drunk at all which seemed to do horrible things to Suho who didn’t hesitate to assault Kyungsoo in the living room as if Tao and Sehun weren’t there. They took that as an excuse to retire to their own room.

Sehun went immediately to the bed and Tao was left overwhelmed, once again, and how perfect Sehun was. Beyond how perfect he was physically, and Tao did believe that he was perfection incarnate, he was a good person. He was gentle and understanding and too wise for someone so young. He seemed to know Tao to his core without all the years of actually knowing him. And Tao was thankful that the young man had come along and ripped him from the tidal wave that was fighting to drown him, a wave he didn’t even know was attacking him.

Tao met Sehun, not with a kiss, but with an embrace so tight that Sehun couldn’t breathe. Tao fingers clutched at Sehun’s clothing and buried his face in the crook of Sehun’s neck. Sehun smiled that knowing smile and placed kisses to Tao’s hair. “How did you even know that I was in so much pain?” Tao asked. Sehun remained quiet, and just continued to hold Tao. “I didn’t even know.”

“I just wanted you to let go,” Sehun whispered. It wasn’t exactly an answer to the question, but it seemed to be enough for Tao. He leaned back and gently placed his lips against Sehun’s. It wasn’t a hungry kiss that suggested that sex would ensue. It was a timid and unsure kiss that seemed to carry all of Tao’s feelings and uncertainty and gratitude. He kissed Sehun to let him know that he appreciated all he’d done and that maybe, maybe, the consequences of his actions could be unfathomable.

“Thank you,” Tao whispered when he pulled back. Sehun pulled down Tao with him flat on the bed. Tao kissed him before settling onto his side. Sehun curled against him, and swiftly fell asleep in the comfort of Tao’s arms. Tao waited until he was sure that Sehun was asleep before he kissed his hair and mumbled, “I think I might love you.”

Sehun caught a fever a few weeks later and Tao was besides himself with worry. He knew Sehun was coming down with something one night when he suddenly started smelling a sickening scent. He immediately felt Sehun’s forehead and frowned. He tried to rouse Sehun from his slumber, but Sehun merely groaned and rolled over.

Tao had jumped out of bed and rushed to Wufan’s room, knowing he had had enough blood whores to treat them properly. He didn’t bother knocking, instead opening the door, and he regretted his haste immediately. Wufan and Baekhyun were both naked. Wufan was on top with Baekhyun beneath him, back arched off the bed so that his body was pressed against Wufan’s. His eyes were closed and he was moaning as Wufan helped himself to the blood at Baekhyun’s neck. When Tao came in, Baekhyun’s eyes snapped open and he gasped. Wufan stopped and turned to look at Tao, blood smeared on his lips.

“I-I’m sorry,” Tao said, eyes on the floor. “Sehun, he’s sick. A fever, and I don’t know what to do.” Wufan rolled off of Baekhyun and moved to collect his clothes. Baekhyun stopped him with a hand on the arm.

“I’ll go,” he said. Wufan nodded and watched as Baekhyun stood and slipped a robe around his shoulders, tying it off at his waist. Tao blushed because despite looking at the ground, he had caught sight of both their naked forms and he could smell the lust in the air. Baekhyun walked from the room and Tao followed quickly behind.

“I’m sorry,” Tao said again. Baekhyun smiled and shook his head. They returned to Tao’s room to find that Sehun had broken out in a cold sweat. Baekhyun moved to sit next to him on the bed. He felt Sehun’s forehead and frowned. Tao stood a ways away, worry contorting his features. Baekhyun jostled Sehun gently.

“Sehun?” He shook him again. Sehun’s eyes fluttered open and he groaned and rolled away from Baekhyun. Baekhyun grabbed the space between his neck and shoulder in an attempt to roll him back over, and Sehun gasped in pain. Tao was there in a second, holding one of Sehun’s hands between his own. Baekhyun reached up and pulled the collar of Sehun’s t-shirt down, revealing a swollen piece of skin around the bite mark on his neck.

“Do you always drink from there?” Baekhyun asked, dropping Sehun’s shirt. Tao nodded dumbly. Baekhyun sighed. “It’s infected, and I’d bet that’s why. You have to alternate spots and give the wound time to heal. His is constantly being forced open and it has caused infection. He’ll be okay as long as we keep the wound clean and allow it proper time to heal.” Tao sighed in relief at hearing that Sehun was going to be okay

“Thank you, Baekhyun.” Baekhyun’s eyes went wide and a bright smile graced his face.

“I’ll go warm some water to clean the wound.” Tao nodded, laying down beside Sehun to wait until Baekhyun came back. Sehun’s eyes were closed but he squeezed Tao’s hand in his. Tao leaned over and kissed Sehun’s forehead. Baekhyun came back a little while later and cleaned Sehun’s wound, covered it in cream, and bandaged it.

“Remember not to constantly drink from the same wound,” Baekhyun said before leaving. Tao quickly went back to lay beside Sehun, taking his hands in his own once again. Sehun’s breath was shallow and Tao couldn’t help but worry, but he trusted Baekhyun. Wufan would have taught Baekhyun everything to know about being a blood whore and Baekhyun had been doing it for a while.

Sehun’s fever got a little bit worse through the night and Tao watched him constantly to ensure that his vital signs didn’t change. Sehun reached out and grabbed onto him. Tao brushed back his hair and wiped the sweat off his brow.

“Yi-” Sehun gasped out. “-xing.” Tao’s eyebrows pulled down in confusion. Sehun grabbed his hand and stared at him. “Yixing?” Tao’s mouth opened in an “o” shape when he realized that Sehun was mistaking him for Yixing, the main who raised him. In his fever-induced delirium, Sehun thought he was seeing his surrogate father.

“Sehun,” Tao whispered as he stroked Sehun’s cheek.

“I’m sorry,” Sehun whispered back, closing his eyes and pressing Tao’s hand close to his face.

“For what?” Tao asked, curious. Sehun had been very forthcoming with his past on he and Tao’s very first night together, but he had never told Tao any specific details or even anything passed his connection to the world of the Night Children. There was still plenty that he hadn’t revealed to Tao, and Tao’s curiosity was outweighing his distaste at using Sehun’s stupor against him.

“For everything. For forcing you to do what you did, and then--” Sehun broke off and Tao saw tears collect in his eyes. Tao wiped the tears away with his thumbs and placed a tender kiss to Sehun’s forehead. He didn’t like seeing Sehun cry, even if it only made him more curious. Sehun had twinkling, understanding eyes that Tao never wanted to see shine with tears.

“Sleep, Sehun,” Tao commanded. “Everything will be okay in the morning.”

“No,” Sehun begged. He reached out and pulled Tao towards him. "Forgive me, please. I'm sorry for everything that I did, everything that I caused. Forgive me, Xing, please." Sehun sounded so crushed as if an intense weight had wrapped itself around his heart.

"Sehun, there is nothing to forgive."

"But I don't want you to hate me." The tears fell down his cheek. Tao laid down and pulled Sehun to his chest. "I-but I-I'm the one who--" He stopped suddenly. Tao pulled back to look at him and found Sehun's eyes closed in sleep. Tao brushed back his bangs and Sehun shivered.

Tao had no idea what Sehun was about to say. It could have been any number of things. Sehun's past was largely shrouded in mystery, and Tao could only guess at what the poor boy felt sorry for. Sehun had done so much to heal the wounds of Tao's past. Seeing Sehun cry over something he blamed himself for made Tao want to return the favor.

Tao made a vow that night to uncover Sehun's past and help him to overcome whatever problems he had.

Tao didn't really have a plan. He had wanted to just come out and ask Sehun. But every time he tried, Sehun would swiftly give him ambiguous answers. Or in some cases initiate sex by throwing his hands down Tao's pants or sometimes his mouth. As much as Tao would have liked to wrestle the answers from Sehun, no human being could think about anything other the task at hand when their dick was in Oh Sehun's mouth.

Once Sehun got well, a feat that only took a few days of rest, Tao was constantly attempting to get information from him. It was always for naught because Sehun was as tight lipped as ever.

Tao even tried to pull information from him during a feeding. Sehun’s neck wound was still healing. Sehun suggested that Tao drink from his wrist. Tao had given him a look. He had thought of nearly a hundred other places to drink from Sehun. He thought of the dip in Sehun’s side, the skin surrounding his nipples, that particularly large vein right between his thighs. Sehun’s wrist was not where Tao would have went immediately.

“I want to watch,” Sehun said with a shrug. Tao’s eyebrows went up. Sehun had laid down on his back on the bed, laying one arm away from his body. Tao crawled into the space between his arm and body. He sent Sehun another look to which Sehun responded with a nod. Then Tao opened his mouth, bared his fangs, and plunged them into Sehun’s wrist.

A twitch began at the spot before running up his arm in a shiver that pulsated through his body. Sehun watched as Tao’s eyes closed and he moaned. Sehun’s eyes closed too in a strange mix of pain and pleasure. Tao’s teeth had penetrated deep into the soft layers of skin. Sehun could feel Tao’s tongue swirling around in the blood escaping the wound, lapping as much as he could into his mouth and towards his throat. Blood was escaping his hold, however, pouring from his suction hold of Tao’s lips on Sehun’s wrist, running over milky white skin to stain the beige bed sheets.

Sehun rolled onto his side and watched as Tai sucked and drank deeply, even bending Sehun’s wrist at an odd angle to force more blood into his mouth. Tao moaned again, and the sound went somewhere deep in Sehun, forcing his sweat pants to become very tight. He used his other hand to rub at Tao’s back.

Tao snapped up, current wrist forgotten. He grabbed the wrist at his back and pulled it close to his mouth, stained with dark scarlet. He stopped briefly, kneeling beside Sehun, with one hand raised to his blood stained lips and the other laying on the bed, blood leaking from the wound.

“Do it,” Sehun whispered and Tao didn’t need anymore insistence. He sank his teeth into the second wrist. It was crossed over Sehun’s body to Tao’s lips and any escaping blood dripped onto Sehun’s bare chest. Tao didn’t close his eyes this time. Instead he watched as Sehun’s eyes closed and he let out a soft moan, hips bucking up slightly. The sight was erotic for Tao and it only made him drink deeper.

He finally finished, letting the arm drop to land across Sehun. Sehun was practically panting in arousal and Tao’s couldn’t stop the curious and maybe suspicious look from crossing his face.

“Who are you?” Tao asked. Sehun smiled, feeling weak as his blood poured from his wrists but also rushed to harden his cock. Sehun raised his still bleeding hands to Tao’s waist. Tao took the hint and easily let Sehun guide him. Sehun settled Tao onto his lap, his cock pushing against Tao’s ass. Tao leaned forward, bending over and settling hands on either side of Sehun’s head to support.

“I’ve already told you,” Sehun whispered around deep breaths.

“No, I mean who are you. Not just the skeleton of your past. What has made you who you are? Why do you do the things you do? Why do you think the way you do?” Sehun pulled one hand away from Tao’s waist to lay it against his cheek. Tao still had his blood stained all over his lips and chin. Sehun used his hand to run tracks through the dark liquid. Tao reached up and grabbed Sehun’s wrist, stopping it’s motion. Sehun winced a little as Tao’s nails dug into the fresh, still open wounds made by Tao’s teeth. “I mean, what kind of sick fuck gets turned on from watching a vampire drink their blood?”

“Fuck me and I’ll tell you,” Sehun whispered. Tao shook his head.

“Tell me now.” Sehun closed his eyes and let out a keen.

“I can’t,” Sehun whispered as another moan escaped his lips. “I’m too busy thinking about having you inside of me.” He bucked his hips upwards with desire. Tao gasped as Sehun’s dick continued rubbing against him, sending his own blood south to force him to full hardness. “Inside. I want you inside. Please, Zitao.” Then Sehun did something that Tao had never seen before. He was thankful for that too because witnessing it almost made him come without any sexual interaction.

Sehun brought one of his wrists to his mouth. He stuck out that sinful tongue, touched it to his skin, and licked at a small trail of his own blood. His nose wrinkled at the coppery taste, but his tongue continued on, lapping up more and more until his wrist was clean save for the smeared stain. Then he pulled Tao closer and kissed him, tongues meeting and sharing the blood and the taste. Tao moaned as Sehun fed him his blood while his hands reached down for Sehun’s pants. He removed them quickly before removing his own and settling himself between Sehun’s now spread thighs.

“You tell me afterwards,” Tao said. Sehun nodded. Tao reached towards him, presenting several fingers. He didn’t have to order Sehun for he knew what to do. Sehun took the fingers into his mouth, sucking on them gently, tongue caressing each knuckle and licking between each digit. Tao pulled them out and Sehun let them go reluctantly. Tao brought them back and slid the first one into Sehun with no warning.

Sehun gasped, body squirming at the very welcomed intrusion. Tao pulled his finger back, teased Sehun’s entrance, before sliding it, and an additional finger, back in again. Nothing coherent escaped Sehun’s mouth as his fists tightened in the bed sheets as Tao finger fucked him. Tao ran his other hand down Sehun’s thigh to his cock to give it two quick pumps. Sehun groaned. Tao had just entered another finger, perfected the assault on Sehun’s prostate, when Sehun sat up slightly to pull at Tao’s hair. Tao merely smiled, an effect that should have been creepy with the blood still smeared on his chin, but Sehun merely yanked harder, an obvious sign to hurry up.

Tao pushed Sehun back onto his back and pulled his fingers out. He straightened his back and leaned over to give himself the perfect position before slipping inside his keening lover. Sehun accepted the position with a gasp and wrapped his legs around Tao’s hips. Tao smiled again pulling out and pushing back in, executing a perfect and pleasing opening thrust. Sehun arched his back, gasping out Tao’s name. Tao leaned over more so that he was resting on his hands beside Sehun’s head and their faces were inches apart. Tao wrapped one arm around Sehun before thrusting into him again. Tao closed his eyes as Sehun threw his head back.

Sehun always admired and adored Tao’s talent for pacing. His thrusts were always steady, evenly spaced, and the perfect force and length. They always hit where they needed too, and the consistency lit Sehun’s body on fire with pleasure. His body never got a chance to rest when Tao was fucking him because it was always riding high. His prostate would take a hit, sending unfathomable tendrils of pleasure shooting through his body, but before he could come down from it the first hit, a second would be delivered. It meant that Sehun would experience mind-numbing, phenomenal sex. But it also meant that he had barely any stamina.

Tao never seemed to mind that Sehun usually came quickly, white smearing all over their chests because Sehun was a good sport, continuing the ride until Tao got his release however long after it came. This time was no different. Tao’s hand only had to pump three or four times along with his thrusts before Sehun was coming with a loud gasp of Tao’s name. Tao continued to thrust into him, cock meeting brief resistance as Sehun rode out his orgasm. Finally, much quicker than normally himself, Tao came. Sehun sucked on his bottom lip as Tao filled him up, still pressed all the way inside and releasing the evidence of the effect Sehun had on him.

With one final thrust to signal the finale of one of the honest best orgasms of his life, Tao pulled out and rolled onto his back beside Sehun. They were both panting, lungs struggling for air that both of them needed desperately. Tao turned his head to stare at Sehun, who was struggling to find his sweat pants. Tao waved the idea away and tugged on his arm. Sehun turned to him with a smile, laid down, and curled up against Tao’s side. He placed one hand over Tao’s waist and the other, palm up, on Tao’s chest. Tao fit one arm around Sehun and intertwined the fingers of his other hand with Sehun’s hand on his chest.

“So,” Tao said, stopping to take a breath. “You were going to tell me something.” Sehun snuggled closer, nose running over the stretch of skin between Tao’s shoulder and chest. Tao shivered.

“Too sleepy,” Sehun said, adding a yawn for good measure. Tao rolled his eyes.

“You promised.” Sehun looked up at him with a small pout.

“You just drained me from both wrists and then fucked me into the mattress. I deserve some rest.” Tao opened his mouth to argue, but he saw honest lines on Sehun’s face. Despite the fact that Sehun was using both the sex and sleep as an excuse to avoid talking about his past, Tao could see that he really was exhausted and he had no right to deny his lover rest.

“Fine. But in the morning, we talk.” Sehun closed his eyes and nodded happily. He leaned over and gave Tao a quick kiss to the corner of his lips.

“Also,” Sehun said, returning his head to it’s resting spot in the crook of Tao’s arm. “Don’t forget to wipe your mouth, dear.” Tao blushed as he wiped drying blood from his mouth. When he was convinced that he’d removed enough of it from his chin, he leaned over and kissed Sehun’s pink streaked hair.

“Goodnight, dear,” Tao whispered, the word foreign yet comfortable in his mouth.

But Sehun didn’t reveal anything in the morning. When Tao tried to bring it up, he merely made an excuse about needing to see Baekhyun for something. When he’d found Sehun drinking tea in the kitchen with Baekhyun, he tried to bring it up again but had gotten shooed out of the kitchen for interrupting Baekhyun and Sehun’s “girl talk.” Even when they were cuddling in bed later that night, Sehun willed himself quickly to sleep to avoid Tao’s prying. It was starting to really frustrate Tao.

Tao needed information so he turned to the most likely candidates.

They were sitting in the living room one day, after a few weeks of Sehun’s ignoring Tao’s questions. Sehun and Tao were on the loveseat. They weren't touching except for their intertwined hands. Suho was rambling on about some Night Child he's known years ago who was into magic tricks. No one knew where the story came from, but everyone guessed that Suho was only telling it because it seemed to make Kyungsoo smile.

"Oh," Tao said suddenly after Suho had finished. He turned to Wufan and then to Sehun. "Wufan has been around for a very long time. He probably knew your father." The whole room turned to Sehun who stilled immediately by Tao.

"Your father?" Wufan asked. Sehun snuck a glance at Tao before nodding.

"Sehun's been here for almost five months and I can't believe that I forgot to ask you about his father." Tao smiled. "He was raised by one of us. A man named Yixing." Wufan's eyes went wide at the name.

"Yixing? Your Yixing's boy?" Sehun nodded and Wufan face-palmed and laughed. "The name should have been the giveaway. He always used to call you his little Sehunnie."

"You knew him?" Sehun asked. Tao noticed an edge to his voice. His eyebrows pulled down in confusion.

"Would you believe that Yixing and I went way back? Actually we were turned by the same woman in a very short time from one another. He was turned first and was the person who taught me everything I knew about being a Night Child. He was a good man. Very gentle."

"He was," Sehun whispered. He swallowed a lump in his throat. Wufan smiled. "He always raised me with kindness."

"I can tell," Wufan said. "You're wise and kind, just like he was. Very tuned in to the feelings and needs of others. That's how he was." Tao though that made sense. That was exactly how Sehun was and it only seemed natural that he learned it from his father.  "What happened to him?"

Sehun took a deep breath and looked away. It didn’t take a genius to know that he was about to deliver extremely bad news. Wufan stilled himself, grabbing tightly at Baekhyun’s hand to prepare himself for what was about to come. Tao meant to squeeze Sehun’s hand to encourage him, but at the slightest hint of pressure, Sehun pulled his hand away. Tao’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“He’s dead,” Sehun whispered. Wufan sucked in a deep breath. Baekhyun gasped as Wufan’s hand tightened to the point of hurting. He reached up and caressed Wufan’s face. “He’s been dead for a few years now.”

“What happened?” Wufan asked. Sehun stared down at where he’d clasped his hands in his lap, hands shaking.

“He was killed.” Wufan’s face contorted in anger.

“By whom?” He growled. Sehun gulped, forcing down whatever had been lodged in his throat. Tao watched in confusion as a few emotions played across his lover’s face and his heartbeat picked up, pounding loudly in Tao’s ears. He wanted to say that it was just the pain and anger from his father’s death causing this reaction in Sehun. But Tao didn’t believe that. There was something else.

“A hunter.” Tao’s eyes went wide. “He caught Yixing off guard and killed him.” A deep, red hot anger began boiling inside of Tao.

“Do you know who it was?” Wufan practically shouted. “Because I will kill him if I ever meet him. Yixing was the greatest man to ever live and I’d hate to be the bastard who killed him. Because I will tear him limb from limb and feed him his own fingers.” Sehun’s eyes snapped to Wufan and what little color was in his face, drained out of it. Wufan was too busy seething to notice it. But not Tao.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up,” Tao said through clenched teeth. “It must be hard for you to talk about.” Sehun nodded. Tao grabbed his arm and pulled him from the couch. Everyone looked confused when Tao dragged Sehun behind him towards their room, but they all passed it off on the two being a strange couple who seemed to get off on the weirdest things. His grip on Sehun was harsh and it bit painfully. Sehun gasped as Tao opened the door and basically flung him inside. Sehun nearly collided with the bedpost. He opened his eyes wide before narrowing them in confusion.

“Zitao, what’s--”

“A hunter who caught Yixing off guard,” Tao repeated, words an angry hiss echoing through the room. “What happened to the group of hunters who attacked Yixing in your home?” Sehun’s eyes widened when he realized what Tao was saying. Tao was pointing out the mistake in his story, an inconsistency from the one he’d just told to the one he’d told Tao when they first met.

“Zitao, I can explain--” Sehun said, reaching out a hand towards Tao. Tao recoiled, violently batting his hand away. Sehun pulled it back as the sting settled into his skin but also into his heart.

“You fucking lied to me.”

“Zitao--”

“You fucking lied to me. You’ve been lying to me all this time. Why? What happened that you felt the need to keep it from me?” Sehun looked down, making no move to answer Tao’s question. Tao reached out and harshly grabbed Sehun’s chin, jerking his head up so that Tao could read the expression in his face and the emotions in his eyes. There was regret. Guilt. Fear. And it didn’t take long for Tao to put the pieces together.

It all made sense. Sehun’s fabricated tale woven together to hide the truth of his father’s murder. His guilt and plea for forgiveness all those week’s ago when his mind and judgement were clouded with illness. His increased heart rate that could now be attributed to fear upon Wufan’s desire for revenge against Yixing’s murderer. Everything fit so smoothly together that Tao believed himself an idiot for not seeing it all sooner.

Tao dropped his hand and stepped away from Sehun. “You did it. You were the one who--” Sehun sucked in a deep breath and Tao looked at him in disgust. “You killed your own father.” Tao covered his mouth in distaste and Sehun made another play at grabbing Tao, who evaded him easily. His blood was beginning to heat up with so much rage that he knew the beast would awaken any moment.

“Let me explain,” Sehun pleaded.

“He raised you and you killed him.” Tao let out a choking noise when he remembered the only way to kill a Night Child. “You decapitated the man who raised you. He gave you years of love and kindness, and you stabbed him in the back.”

“NO!” Sehun shouted, tears blooming in his eyes. “That isn’t what happened. I loved Yixing. He was my father. Just let me explain--”

“What’s to stop you from killing me?” Sehun stopped, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“What?”

“How do I know you won’t try to kill me too?”

“Zitao, I would never.”

“Liar.” Tao spat the words and they hit like a dagger in Sehun’s heart. “You’ve lied about basically everything. I’m not going to believe you when my life’s in the question. You’d probably kill me--”

“Zitao, stop!” Tao shut his mouth and merely watched in silence as more tears rolled down Sehun’s cheeks. “I-I love you.” Tao scoffed, rolling his eyes in the process. Sehun choked on a sob at the fact that Tao didn’t believe him. “I would never hurt you because I love you, Zitao. I love you so much.”

“Like you loved the man you murdered?” Tao hissed. Sehun recoiled like he’d been slapped. His legs went out from beneath him and he sat down on the bed.

“H-he a-asked me too,” Sehun choked out around his sobs. “He asked me to kill him, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I regret saying yes. He was so unhappy. He hated himself and probably me for always tempting him. Please believe me.”

“Why would he ask you to do that?” Tao asked, suspicion lacing every syllable.

“I asked to become his blood whore, and though we never had sex, Yixing would drink from me whenever he needed to. I didn’t lie about that. I never realized how much he hated the idea of drinking from me. I thought everything was okay. For years, I was happy that I finally understood my father. But I knew nothing. With every feeding, Yixing began to hate himself more and more. He thought he was disgusting. He loved me and raised and cared for me, and he was sickened that he threw all that away to feed on my blood.

“One day, when I was fourteen, I was playing around with some of the boys in my neighborhood. We got a little rough and I fell down and split open my knee. I didn’t even think, I just ran to Yixing, hoping that he would comfort and take care of me like everyone else’s parents did. But he took one look at the blood and lost control. He attacked me, pinning me down, and practically tearing out my throat in his desire to feed. I cried and begged him to stop because it hurt so bad, but Yixing wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Just as I was on the brink of a turn, I desperately called out for my father to stop. That seemed to bring Yixing back, and he stopped.

“He’d cried and begged me to forgive him as he’d clutched me to him. It was the only time that I’d ever seen him cry. He cried and begged for me to forgive him, for everything. He apologized for not being human, for not being the perfect father. I tried to explain that it was all okay, but it wasn’t. He didn’t speak or look at me for three months after that. He stopped eating, from me or anyone else. One night I walked into the living room to find him with his head in his hands. He looked at me and asked me if I loved him. I responded that of course, I did. He smiled sadly and asked if I would do anything for him. When I answered yes, he handed me the knife and explained what he wanted me to do.” Sehun choked on more sobs and had to stop as he hunched over with the force of his crying. Tao just watched on. “It took me so many tries. I wasn’t strong enough, and the cuts weren’t clean. Yixing kept staring and--

“I love him and he asked me to kill him. It was the cruelest thing anyone could ever ask me to do, but I did it because he hated himself. He didn’t want to live anymore, and he needed me to help him end it all. I loved him. He was the only father I ever had, and I wanted him to be happy. So I killed him. And the last thing that he ever told me was ‘Always remain gentle, Sehunnie’ like I was so gentle for killing him.” Sehun put the heels of his palms to his eyes to stop crying. The motion was futile because the tears just kept coming.

Tao took a shaky breath and the anger seemed to rush out of him. Sehun was telling him the truth. He could hear it in his voice. He could see it in the way Sehun's small frame spasmed with sobs. It was even in the salty smell of the tears as they filled the room. Sehun was telling him the truth, and Tao believed him, heart breaking for the young man. But also for himself. Because another emotion settling into the place of his depleting anger at the realization of he and Sehun's entire relationship.

"You," Tao began, mouth feeling dry. His chest hurt and Tao remembered the feeling. It had been gone for five months, since he'd met Sehun. But it was back, aching nearly tenfold. Sehun looked at him, terrified of what Tao would say. "You were trying to replace him that night we met. You took me home so you could replace him."

"No," Sehun said with a violent shake of his head. "No, Zitao. That isn't true." Tao sighed. "It isn't."

"Then why else would you bring me home?" Sehun jumped up quickly to stand in front of Tao, reaching out and tightening his fingers in Tao's shirt.

"Because I wanted to save you." Tao looked at Sehun with wide eyes and a jaw that hung open slightly. "You walked into that club and I immediately saw all the rage and sadness in your eyes. You were in pain, self-loathing seeping out of you, and I wanted to help you. I knew you were looking for an easy target and I believed that I could save someone else from becoming your prey while simultaneously saving you. You were my second chance to save someone." Sehun reached up and took Tao's face between his hands. Wet tears slid over them and Tao hadn't even realized that he'd been crying too. "I didn't want the world to lose you, Zitao. That's why I took you home. Because you are too precious to leave my world."

"Then why did you stay?" Tao asked. "Why agree to be my blood whore if you weren't trying to replace Yixing?"

"I intended to take you home that first night, let you feed from me, give you some reassuring words and then separate. But then I realized what a kind, amazing, and perfect--" At this Tao scoffed because perfect was not a word anyone would use to describe him. "You are perfect to me, Zitao. Once I realized that, I couldn't let you go. I didn't just want to help you. I wanted you."  Sehun hung his head. "Believe me Zitao, please. I may have lied about my past out of fear that you'd leave, but everything else was true."

"Even--"

"Especially when I said that I loved you." Sehun raised his head. "I love you so much, Zitao. It's so strange that I fell for you so easily. I've never cared so much for someone. With Yixing, it was a different kind of love. But with you...it's hard to explain. I just want you to be happy and well. I want to give everything to you, even the world. I just want to sleep in your arms at night with the knowledge that your world is bright and that, maybe, I'm the one who made it that way." Sehun pulled back slightly and touched a hand to his neck. “If you don’t believe my words then taste it in here. Taste the truth in my blood.”

Tao took a long look at him. His eyes moved from Sehun’s tear stained eyes, then the hand on his neck, then back to his eyes. Sehun fully expected Tao to pull him close and accept the offer to drink from him. He was shocked when Tao knocked his arms aside, pulled him close, and crashed their lips together.

Sehun practically melted beneath Tao’s kiss. He gripped onto Tao’s shirt, knotting his fingers tightly into the cloth like a lifeline. He thought Tao was going to force his mouth open and push his way inside. But he didn’t. He just closed his eyes and savored the feeling of Sehun’s lips, molding and shifting under his own.

He finally pulled back and leaned his forehead against Sehun’s. Sehun took some deep breaths, warm air brushing against Tao’s lips. Tao ran his fingers through Sehun’s hair and Sehun choked back a sob.

“You are the one who brightens my world,” Tao whispered. Sehun felt the tears pool on his eyelashes. “I’m still angry. I’m furious that you lied to me, that you felt the need to lie to me. But all of that means nothing compared to how thankful and happy I am that you walked into my life that night.” Sehun’s tears slid down his cheeks. Sehun let out a choking laugh as Tao’s lips kissed his cheeks, collecting the tears and ceasing their fall. “You are my world, Sehun. You have saved me more than I can ever thank you for. You fixed over thirty years of problems in such a short time. Because you did, my heart was open to so much more. Because you helped to save me, I was finally able to love again.” Sehun cried more as he tightened his fingers against Tao’s chest and leaned forward to bury his face in the crook of Tao’s neck. “I love you too, Sehun.”

“I’m so sorry,” Sehun cried. Tao clutched Sehun to him with arm wrapped around him protectively. “I am so sorry that I lied. If I could take it back, I would. I never meant to hurt you. Please believe me, Zitao.” Tao raised his hand to rest on the back of Sehun’s neck. He rubbed the skin smoothingly and turned his head to kiss Sehun’s hair.

“I do believe you, Sehun. I believe you and I love you too.” Sehun pulled back and laughed as he wiped at his eyes. Tao smiled and continued to hold Sehun close to him. “Just no more lies, okay? No secrets between us. We’ll be completely open and honest. Okay?” Tao leaned in for another kiss, this one more intense with lots of shared breaths and tongues dancing against one another. Sehun pulled back and smiled.

“Of course. No more secrets. I’m an open book.” Sehun quirked an eyebrow and Tao stared confused. Sehun rolled his eyes and looked at the bed. “A completely open book that you are welcomed to look at and read as often as you’d like.” Tao still didn’t seem to understand, so Sehun helped him get there by reaching down and grabbing Tao through his trousers. Tao jumped and batted his hand away.

“Leave it to you to ruin a perfectly romantic moment by initiating sex.” Sehun smiled and led Tao to the bed. Sehun sat down and pulled Tao in for a deep kiss.

“You wanna know a secret?” Sehun asked. Tao looked apprehensive, but the lusty expression on Sehun’s face quickly put him at ease.

“Yeah.”

“The best part about admitting you love someone is all the love you get to make.” Tao laughed and let Sehun pull him onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around Sehun and met his lips for a kiss.

“You may be very right about that,” Tao whispered before he made love to Sehun for the first time.

Tao smiled broadly when Sehun woke up the next morning. Sehun glanced at him and rubbed at his eyes with his hands. He tried to shift his position so that he laid on his back but he winced immediately and stayed where he was on his side. Tao laughed as Sehun frowned and rubbed at his back.

“You look pretty rough, babe,” Tao said jokingly. Sehun slapped his arm.

“Such a romantic,” Sehun said, rolling his eyes.

“In a way, I am because I think you look beautiful like this. All weak and worn out because I made you that way.”

“That isn’t romantic, Zitao. That’s twisted.” But he smiled anyway and let Tao kiss him. “I’m going to go get some coffee.” Sehun tried to sit up but he gasped in pain again and just laid back down with a sigh. “How many times did we do it last night?” Tao looked at the roof as he mentally ticked off how many times he and Sehun had made love the previous night.

“Six,” Tao said. Sehun whistled and smiled. “Want me to get you some coffee?” Sehun nodded with a cute smile.

“Thank you, Zitao.” Tao stood up and shrugged into some sweatpants before leaving the room. He made his way downstairs to find Luhan and Chanyeol sitting around the island joking about something. They stopped when he came in.

“Hey,” Luhan said. Tao nodded to them. “Is Sehun okay?”

“Yeah he’s fine,” Tao said as he moved to the coffee maker and began to brew a pot. Another set of footsteps appeared and everyone turned to see Baekhyun enter the kitchen. He smiled and wished them all a good morning. He began making tea in the microwave.

“Holy fuck,” Luhan said after a second or two. “Baekhyun, what the fuck was Wufan doing to you last night?” Baekhyun turned to him with a confused expression. “I’ve never heard you scream like that before.”

“That wasn’t me,” Baekhyun said. Luhan laughed and smacked his arm. “No seriously. That wasn’t me. I’m in my detox period, and Wufan and I don’t have sex during that time.” Luhan and Chanyeol both look confused. Tao, who still had his back turned to them, smiled down at the coffee pot. He’d have to talk to Sehun about keeping it a little quieter from now on.

Or not because Tao really liked the way Sehun screamed.

Tao felt like morning had finally come. After nearly thirty years of living in a night, dark with his own resentment and anger, Sehun had finally brought the morning's light to him. Sehun doused his world with light, and that meant everything to Tao. The darkness had been closing in, but Sehun had saved him. Now Tao couldn't be happier to take Sehun's hand and face the morning, with all her trials and glories, together. Because at long last the night that he feared would last for an eternity was over.

 


End file.
